Ruler of Shadows
by MadameCissy
Summary: We are what we were meant to be... Hermione is sorted into Slytherin at the start of her Hogwarts education. Why? And why is Bellatrix Lestrange so interested in her during her fifth year? Hermione/Bellatrix.
1. Chapter 1

Written for the "You Then Me" Challenge by Paris in December

**Pairing:** Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Lestrange

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_Things do not change, we change.  
__**~Henry David Thoreau**_

**~()~**

**Prologue**

September 1st, 1991

She had been excited for weeks and now the day was finally here. The bright red steam train blew a plume of smoke into the air and blew its whistle. Arriving at the platform had been the oddest experience. She had read up about it and found her way easily but a brief moment of hesitation had grabbed hold of her when her trolley was about to collide with the pillar... the crash never happened and now she stood in the crowd of students boarding the train. Dozens and dozens of voices called a variety of words. The screeching of owls, the loud meowing of cats made the platform sound like London Zoo.

Her heart hammered in her chest and she looked over her shoulder at her parents and then back at the train. One of the conductors had taken her trunk and loaded it onboard without asking questions.

"Are you sure about this, John?" her mother asked nervously and her hand closed around her husband's wrist. Skittish eyes searched the platform, clearly uncomfortable with her new surroundings. The oddly dressed parents escorting their children made her stand out and she was almost desperate to find anyone who looked as ordinary as she and her husband did. Her eyes came to a rest on her daughter. "All the way to Scotland... We won't see her again 'till Christmas!"

"Our Hermione is a clever girl, Karen" her father answered and squeezed his wife's hand. "I am sure she'll cope. She'll make friends and by the end of the week she will have forgotten all about us"

Hermione Granger turned to her parents. The revelation that was a witch and that she had been selected to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had shocked her and her family. But the pieces had fallen into place and suddenly the strange events throughout her life made sense. It explained why she had been able to levitate forks over the kitchen counter at the age of six and how she had managed to change her hair from its normal brown to a bright shade of blonde at the age of ten, much to her mother's horror.

Professor McGonagall had explained that sometimes witched and wizards were born into Muggle families, people without magical abilities, and that she would learn to control and use her magic properly. She still vividly remembered the night she had knocked on their front door. It had taken her mother an hour to believe the woman really was a witch.

"It's nearly eleven o'clock" Hermione said whilst looking at her parents. Her mother still looked doubtful. "I had better get on..."

Around her the other students also began to make their way onto the train and made their way through the carriages.

"Ok, darling" Karen Granger answered and enveloped her daughter in her arms, pressing her tightly against her chest. Hermione was a copy of her mother. They shared the same bushy, unruly brown hair and the same hazel brown eyes. She had even inherited her mother's slightly large front teeth. Something not even braces had managed to fix throughout the years. Karen kissed her daughter on her hair and held her a few inches away from her.

"Be safe. You know you can write to us any time, don't you?"

Hermione snickered. "I know, mom. But I doubt the Royal Mail runs an owl service"

Karen pulled a face and John stepped forward, locking his daughter in his arms. Hermione hugged him in return and smiled to herself. She couldn't wait to leave. She felt her father brush a strand of hair behind her ear and she looked up to him.

"Knock'em dead, darling" he smiled when she broke free from his embrace.

"I am sure that's against about a dozen school rules, but I'll do my best" Hermione answered. She grasped hold of her rug sack and hurried along the platform to the nearest open door. She had seen a group of Gryffindor students board the same carriage earlier and she hoped she'd see them during their journey to Scotland.

She found an empty compartment and sat down, carefully placing her bag on the seat beside her. She opened it and took out _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. _She opened it and skimmed through the pages, looking for the more interesting parts. She had read the book once since she bought it in Diagon Alley three weeks ago. She stopped after about twenty pages, sat back in her seat and began to read.

The train started moving and slowly rolled out of London's Kings Cross Station. The minutes and hours began to pass and the Hogwarts Express crossed the English countryside, with the scenery constantly changing outside her window. London lay far behind them now. Hermione saw very little of the world outside, as she was still reading her Transfiguration text book. She enjoyed the silence of her compartment. It was almost like reading back home in her own bedroom.

Two hours had passed and the witch with the sweets trolley had just moved into the next carriage when the sound of voices disturbed Hermione in her reading. They came from outside the compartment, down the corridor. She looked up and found three boys standing in the open compartment door. She guessed they were about fifteen and they all wore red and gold ties. Gryffindors...

"Oi, check this out! Reading already! Bet she's a real brown nose and all!" spoke the tallest of the three boys. He had dirty blonde hair and a bony face. There was something menacing about him.

"Not very polite now, is it?" Hermione bit back. "Did you get passed over when they handed out manners?"

The other two lads whistled through their teeth and one of them punched the blonde haired boy on his shoulder. He did not seem impressed by her answer and his dark blue eyes fixed on Hermione. His shoulders broadened and the cockiness and arrogance was obvious.

"I take it you were passed over when beauty was handed out then..." he sarcastically spat and his mates roared in laughter.

"I'd rather be ugly and smart than beautiful and dumb..."

"Not very nice..." the blonde ringleader of the group snapped and glanced at his mates. He drew his wand in the blink of an eye and around him his friends suddenly became slightly more apprehensive. Their hesitation was clearly visible on their faces. He seemed oblivious. "Let's show this little nosy parker how first years respect a prefect..."

"Who did you Imperius to get that badge anyway?" Hermione felt anger boil in the pit of her stomach. Her fingers dug into the cover of her book and she flinched at the unexpected sensation of loathing overwhelm her. She drew her own wand even though she had no idea whether she could stand her own in a duel against three fifth year Gryffindors, not to mention that using magic on the train was illegal.

"Think you can do magic?" the blonde boy laughed.

"Leave it, mate. She's not worth it. McGonagall will deduct points before we have even set foot in the bloody Great Hal!" One of his mates pulled at his wand arm but he did not budge.

"You should listen to them. It sounds like they've got some common sense in them" Hermione confidently said and aimed her wand at the older boy's chest. Her fingers did not even tremble.

"STUPE-"

"PROTEGO!" Hermione cried and the Shield Charm was instant. The strength of the spell shot through her arm, made her fingers tingle and then the jet burst out of her wand. It was powerful and deflected the stunning spell and it shot across the corridor and crashed into another compartment door."IMPEDIMENTA!"

With a sickening crack the boy flew backwards, crashed against the compartment opposite and slumped down to the floor in a messy pile of robes and limps. His mates rushed down to his side and around them more doors opened and people peered out of their compartments to see what was happening.

"Nice one" a girl with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes commented. She had appeared in the corridor seemingly out of nowhere. She had a slightly pudgy face and a silver and green tie hung casually around her neck. She smirked when she looked up at Hermione. "Stupid Gryffindor had it coming..."

Hermione looked at the girl and slipped her wand back in her pocket. "Who the hell are you?"

"Pansy Parkinson" the girl answered and looked at Hermione from head to toe. "And you are?"

"Hermione Granger"

"That was impressive for a first year" Pansy commented and peered into Hermione's empty compartment and noticed it was empty. "Mind if I join you?"

"I'd rather you..." Hermione began but Pansy did not listen and casually sat down in the seat opposite of Hermione's and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. Her eye then fell on the book Hermione had been reading and she arched an eyebrow. "Are you a Raven?"

Hermione shrugged. "Dunno. Gryffindor maybe"

"Like those prats?" Pansy pointed at the two Gryffindors who had managed to pull their mate back onto his feet and stumbled out of the carriage. "Well, that's something to be proud off..."

"Let me guess..." Hermione said and stuffed her Transfiguration text book back in her back. Pansy's reaction didn't leave much to the imagination and the green and silver tie was a clear inclination of the House Pansy believed she belonged to even without being sorted. "You're a Slytherin"

Pansy proudly nodded. "My whole family are Slytherins. They would disown me if I was sorted anywhere else. The disgrace..."

"Does it not worry you? Its reputation, I mean..." Hermione answered. She had read about the four Houses in Hogwarts and knew that Slytherin had a particularly dark and feared reputation. "All dark witches and wizards once ended up in Slytherin..."

Pansy shrugged and leant back in her seat. "Rather a snake than a lion... I'd rather die"

"All Houses have got good and bad qualities, you know.." spoke a voice from the compartment door and both Hermione and Pansy looked up. Two girls had appeared and they looked identical. Hermione did not need to ask whether they were twins. They even finished each other's sentences. There was something annoying about them as they spoke.

"Name one good quality for a Gryffindor..." Pansy dared them and Hermione looked at the brunette girl before looking at the girls in the door.

"Bravery and courage" one of them started.

"Often associated with stupidity, but go on..." Pansy interrupted them and Hermione could not suppress a smile.

"Slytherins take care of themselves and are cunning and loyal but everyone knows they fancy the dark arts and can't be trusted..." the second girl answered and Hermione glanced at Pansy to see her reaction. Pansy didn't answer and Hermione frowned.

"Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Parvati and this is Padma..." the girl on the left answered.

"So will you two end up in the same house?" Hermione curiously asked though a part of her hoped that she really would not end up being housemates with these two. They were irritating her as it was and she could only imagine they would be the same in a classroom.

"No idea" Padma answered before linking arms with her sister. "See ya..."

"Merlin, they really have let themselves go this year" Pansy shook her head once the girls were out of hearing range. "Now they are even letting complete idiots in..." She then looked at Hermione and cocked her head. "You'd make a good Slytherin..."

Hermione looked slightly offended. "Why would you say that?"

"You took on that Gryffindor without even thinking. You showed aggression and a lack for the rules..." Pansy answered and Hermione automatically touched her pocket where she had stored her wand. She could feel the sensation all over again. How it had felt so overwhelming. But she withdrew her hand and shook her head. "You're brainy too but I think I could live with that..."

Hermione thought about those words for awhile and gazed out of the window. Would it really be so bad to sorted into Slytherin? Had she based her opinion solely on the information in the books? She glanced at Pansy. "You'd make a horrible Gryffindor"

Pansy openly laughed. "I know"

For the remainder of the journey they sat and talked. Pansy knew lots about Hogwarts. One of her older brothers was a fifth year in Slytherin and he had told her everything there was to know. They were soon joined by a boy with pale blonde hair who seemed somewhat arrogant and a black boy with green eyes who was rather quiet and observant.

By the time the train rolled into Hogsmeade Station it had gone dark. As they left the train, Hermione glanced up to the sky. Hundreds of stars flickered like untouchable diamonds and she took a few seconds to take in the sight before following Pansy, Draco and Blaise down the platform. At the end of the platform the massive shape of a man waited for the first years to gather round. He introduced himself as Hagrid and Hermione was simply amazed that there wasn't anything alive crawling out of his unruly, black beard.

The first years followed Hagrid to the Black Lake. Several small boats were waiting for them and Hermione was the first one to step in, closely followed by Pansy and the two boys. She sat down and slowly the boat began to move across the black water. The surface remained almost undisturbed and quite unexpectedly, the boats took a turn towards the right. An audible gasp spread across the boats and the first years as the magnificent Hogwatrs castle loomed up out of the darkness. Its hundreds of windows were lit up by candle light and it was the ultimate picture of magic and beauty. Hermione sat perched on her seat and took in the amazing sight as it unfolded before her eyes.

The boats came to a soft stop at the bottom of the cliffs and Hagrid called for them to leave their transport and follow him. They made their way up to the castle, huddled nervously together. Even those who had siblings at Hogwarts were not prepared for what they saw tonight. The wooden doors swung open, revealing the large Entrance Hall. And there, a dark clad figure was waiting for them.

Hermione recognised the witch immediately. It was Professor McGonagall, the witch who had come to her house a few months ago. She was dressed in black robes and wore a black witch's hat. Bright, emerald green eyes sparkled behind square spectacles and she inspected the new student's faces.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. You will follow me into the Great Hall where you shall be sorted into your Houses. During your time here, your House will be like your family. Victories earn you House points, violations will cost you points. During the Sorting Ceremony I shall call your name, you will come forth and I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head and it will call out the name of your house..." Professor McGonagall said.

The doors to the Great Hall swung open and revealed what lay behind. Hermione, Pansy and the others joined the queue that formed behind Professor McGonagall and followed her into the Great Hall. Hundreds of candles were floating in the air and above their heads a magical ceiling reflected the sky outside. Students sat at the four House tables, curiously and shamelessly inspecting the new first years.

They came to a halt in front of a small wooden stool. Hermione, who stood in the front with Pansy, could see the old Hat lying on top of it. It looked like any other old hat, patched up and stitched back together. Her eyes nervously drifted around the room, past the staff table and along all the House tables. She had no idea where she would belong and she was afraid the Sorting Hat did not know either.

Professor McGonagall took a roll of parchment and began reading off the names. It did not take long until she reached the point Hermione had been dreading.

"Hermione Granger!"

Pansy pushed her towards the stool and Hermione's feet felt like they were made out of lead. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she did not make eye contact with Professor McGonagall when she sat down. Her hands grabbed hold of the side of the stool as the Sorting Hat was lowered onto her head. Instantly, she looked up and the Hat began to talk but only she could hear him.

"Hmmm... A very good set of brains. You feel the desire to proof yourself to others. And you're aggressive too. I can see your talent. You can do great things. You are known to get your own way. Friendship means a lot... Where do you think you belong?"

"Ravenclaw" Hermione whispered and bit down on her lip. "Please, not Gryffindor. They only put prats in there..."

"Ravenclaw, eh? Yes, your brains would be well suited but many of your other talents will be overlooked. No, you seem to be at your best in... SLYTHERIN!"

Hermione did not dare move. For a few seconds she sat frozen. The Slytherin table had burst out into cheer and were applauding. She caught Pansy's eye when Professor McGonagall removed the hat and she slipped of the stool. As she walked towards the table, she was sure she could detect a hint of disapproval in her eyes.

_Slytherin_. How could she have ended up in Slytherin? With every step she took towards the table, her heart sank deeper in her chest. Only pure bloods ever made it into Slytherin. They hated people like her. Muggle borns. _Mudbloods. _Did they even know what she was? Had they even got a clue about her family? Slytherins were obsessed with blood purity.

Hermione slipped into an empty seat at the table and stared into her goblet of pumpkin juice as the Sorting Ceremony continued. She had never felt more alone and misplaced in her life.

It did not take long before Draco Malfoy was also Sorted into Slytherin. The Hat never even made contact with his hair. He looked smug and arrogant as he approached the table and sat down a few seats away from Hermione. Next up was Pansy and Hermione could tell she was nervous when she sat down. The Hat only needed a few seconds and shouted a loud "SLYTHERIN" across the Great Hall before Pansy stood up, made her way over to the table and found a seat next to Hermione.

"Watch this..." Pansy hissed as Professor McGonagall called the next name.

"Harry Potter!"

A sharp intake of breath went through the Hall and Hermione noticed how everybody sat up in their seats when the rather skittish, nervous looking boy stepped forward. He looked like he hadn't combed his hair in days and his glasses were broken. He looked a bit shabby to say the least. Sure, she knew who Harry Potter was, but how did he manage to attract even the attention of the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, whereas before he had seemed too preoccupied to even look at the new first years. Her eyes wandered around the Great Hall. Everyone looked at the boy with great expectation.

"The Boy Who Lived..." Hermione whispered dismissively at Pansy and the brunette nodded. The Sorting Hat seemed to be taking an awful long time to make up his mind and Hermione shook her head. "I heard them talking about him on the train."

"Who cares about him?" Pansy shrugged and leant across towards Draco who was now entertaining the rest of the table with some impression of attacking the Potter boy. The other Slytherins laughed.

"Yeah..." Hermione smiled and tore her eyes away from the dark haired, green eyes boy as the Sorting Hat belted out "GRYFFINDOR". The cheer rising up from the Gryffindor table was deafening. She turned towards Draco and Pansy and laughed at Draco's miming. "Who cares..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** This story is written for a challenge and will be multi chaptered and features Hermione Granger and Bellatrix Lestrange as a pairing. This story is completly AU from beginning to end. More stories for this challenge will follow, as I was given five different scenariots to write - all intended for multi chaptered stories. All stories will have the Hermione/Bellatrix pairing and will also feature Narcissa Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson in various ways. I hope you enjoy the various plots I have been given. I shall try to write them quite quickly, one by one. So stick around and enjoy what is still to come.

~MadameCissy.

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**Chapter 1**

_We are what we were meant to be_

September 1995

Being a Slytherin and being a Muggleborn was never going to be easy. There was no greater contradiction in life. It did not take long for her classmates to realise she was not pure of blood, like them. They had been dismissive at first. Many ignored her and refused to sit with her. Only Pansy did not seem to mind and often she was even quicker to hex whoever insulted Hermione than Hermione herself. Their display of aggression cost them house points, mainly deducted by Professor McGonagall, but also earned them some respect from their fellow classmates. The Slytherins shunned her at first and she spent most of her time with Pansy. They talked a lot and found a base for their friendship that developed throughout the months and years to come.

But over the past four years at Hogwarts she had earned her place amongst the Slytherins and her Muggleborn status became somewhat of a dirty little secret. Everybody knew it but no one spoke about it. She performed as well, if not better, than most of her pure blood classmates and she had proven herself by expressing her dislike of Gryffindor, often assisting Draco and Pansy in another of their taunting attacks on Harry Potter and that annoying Weasley lad, and her talent to impress Professor Snape, who seemed torn over her blood status and her ability to produce every potion he asked for. The Slytherins appreciated her because she brought in many of the House Points and they won the House Cup three years running, much to the dislike of Professor McGonagall.

She rarely went home for the holidays. Easter and Christmas she mainly spent at Hogwarts. Pansy never seemed to go home. Whenever the summer holidays came around it was as if she became even more reluctant to leave. She never spoke about her parents and Hermione never asked. Sometimes she would leave for a day or two in the middle of term, especially in their third and fourth year, never telling anybody where she went. Not even Hermione and they were best friends by now. Four years they had spent sitting side by side in every class, taking trips to Hogsmeade together, sharing their dormitory and spending late nights debating classes, teachers and boys.

Hermione only went home for the summer holidays. She did not enjoy being with her parents like she used to. They were strangers to her and she was a stranger to them. She felt alone and misunderstood whenever she was home and would often receive an owl from Pansy or Draco within the first few days. It seemed they were all bored and lonely when away from Hogwarts and throughout the summer the letters would become increasingly more dark and aggressive as they described their tactics of bullying Gryffindors and making sure they'd lose the Quidditch Cup that year.

Her parents understood very little of the magical world and she kept it that way. She had bluntly asked them to stop accompanying her to Diagon Alley to buy her school things. Instead she would meet up with Draco and his father, often already accompanied by Pansy, and they would do their shopping together. When she was with them she felt like she belonged, like she had found her place. Her parents had nothing to do with her life at Hogwarts and Hermione did everything she possibly could to keep it that way. Being seen with her parents would only be a reminder of what she really was. A Mudblood.

"Mione, it's time to go!" her father called from the bottom of the stairs and Hermione looked up. It was September first and her fifth year at Hogwarts was about to start. She stood by her bedroom window, watching the next door neighbours leave for work. She turned and her eyes briefly drifted around the room. Her mother had been mortified when she had asked to paint the walls in a dark green and changed the bed linen to black and silver. The pink draped curtains had been replaced by black ones and the ceiling light had been removed and replaced by candles spread across the room. Nothing about this room looked like the sweet, girly room Hermione had left behind in her first year. When she came back, her request had come unexpected but her parents had done it anyway. She had told them she had been sorted into Slytherin but they had little knowledge about the Houses, only what she had told them before she had left for Hogwarts.

Hermione picked up her trunk, stored her wand in the back pocket of her black combat trousers and pulled down the sleeves of her burgundy red top. She had bound her bushy brown hair back in a messy ponytail, shot a final glance in the mirror and then started her way down the stairs. Her parents stood in the hall, wearing their coats and her mother looked up when Hermione came down.

She knew that look. It was a look of disapproval. She was not at all happy with the person her daughter had become. She had seen the arrogance and despised it. She had seen the darker changes in her personality. The painting of the room was only the beginning. The way she spoke of some of the classmates in her year, mainly Gryffindors and especially Harry Potter, made Karen feel uncomfortable.

"I wish you wouldn't wear that jumper" Karen said and Hermione's eyes snapped up.

"I can wear what I like" she spit back and grabbed her black coat from the peck. She wrapped her green and silver Slytherin scarf around her neck and her eyes pierced into her mother's. "What is it to you anyway?"

"Hermione!" Her father spoke sharply and she glanced at him. He had placed his hand on his wife's shoulder. "You do not speak to your mother in such a tone"

"Fine" Hermione sighed and reached for the front door. She turned before stepping outside. It was grey and dreary, typical for September. The leaves had begun to fall and litter the streets and the sky predicted rain. "Just drop me outside the station as usual, OK? Mr and Mrs Parkinson will walk me in"

Her parents shared a look but did not speak a word. They followed Hermione to the car but she refused her father's help to put the trunk in the boot. She climbed into the back seat, took one of her texts books from her bag and began to read. During the whole journey to London she never said a word to her parents and the atmosphere in the car was loaded.

When they eventually arrived at Kings Cross Station, about an hour and a half later, Hermione was first out of the car and opened the boot. She pulled out her trunk, swung her bag over her shoulder after having double checked she had her robes in there and then turned to her parents. She produced a fake smile.

"I'll see you next summer..." she said stiffly and briefly pecked her parents on their cheeks. Karen attempted to pull her in for a hug but Hermione dodged her. Her mother's arm fell lifeless down the side of her body. There were no more hugs. She shot a final look at John and then turned to walk off.

"You are not coming home for Christmas this year?" Karen asked hopeful but Hermione shook her head.

"Draco has invited us all to Malfoy Manor for Christmas" she answered whilst already walking into the station. She never saw the broken look on her mother's face and quickly disappeared in the crowds of people. It was busy, morning rush hour was about to come to an end, and around her she recognised dozens of students pulling their trunks and carrying cages with owls and cats. She looked around for Pansy or Draco and eventually found her best friend standing not far from a coffee shop. A man and a woman stood beside her and Hermione instantly realised they were her parents. They seemed stoic and frozen, like statues. Pansy stood in between them, rigid, clearly uncomfortable. Her face lit up when she saw Hermione appear from the crowd.

"Hermione!" she said and hugged her when Hermione reached her. "Had a good summer?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

She turned to look at Pansy's parents. Mr Parkinson was a man with dark hair and a slightly tanned skin. His eyes were a curious shade of green that she could not quite identify. His wife had dark blonde hair and was very pale. Her eyes were dark blue. Both were dressed in simple black robes. Hermione had never met them before and she produced a kind smile that fitted an introduction to a proper pureblood family. "Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Parkinson..."

A curt nod was her reply and Hermione felt somewhat startled. She turned to look at Pansy but she had already picked up her trunk and begun walking towards the barrier leading to Platform 9 ¾. Hermione followed and Pansy's parents were right behind her. Pansy went through first, quickly followed by Hermione. When they reached the other side, Hermione's heartbeat increased when she saw the Hogwarts Express. Pansy was already walking towards one of the carriages and left her trunk with one of the wizards loading them on. Hermione left hers too and then turned to her friend.

"Is everything all right?" she questioned but Pansy shook her head.

"Not here"

"Oi, Granger! Parkinson!"

It was Draco's voice and both Hermione and Pansy turned around. He appeared form behind a pillar, dressed in one of his finest suits and his blonde hair neatly combed. There was arrogance in his step. Arrogance Hermione had learned to match with her own, something that had earned her some of Draco's respect. He was one of the people who never spoke of her Muggleborn status. If they did not speak of it, it did not exist.

"Good summer, Draco?" Hermione asked when he reached them.

"Yeah, but Mother and Father insisted on dropping me off. Don't they know I am quite capable of travelling on my own?" he moaned and Hermione looked over Draco's shoulder. She had met Lucius Malfoy several times during her visits to Diagon Alley. Draco's arrogance was nothing compared to his father's and if Lucius knew about her blood status, and she did not doubt he did, he did not lead on. But she had never before seen or met his wife. She had only ever heard Draco describe her as "Mother" and she knew she spoiled him, for he was her only child.

Beside her, Pansy suddenly turned a deep shade of pink and nervously stepped from one foot onto the other. Her eyes were fixed on Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, who stood out from the crowd with their bright blonde hair and expensive robes. Lucius looked around for his son and when he found Draco in the company of Hermione and Pansy, he took Narcissa's arm and led her towards them.

"Miss Granger, Miss Parkinson..." he spoke politely and his eyes rested on Pansy for a few seconds.

"Mr Malfoy" Hermione returned the greeting and her eyes drifted to Narcissa. She was beautiful to say the least. Her long blonde hair fell wavy down her shoulders and back and was a sharp contrast against the black, expensive robes she was wearing. A diamond studded necklace hung around her neck, with matching earrings. Her eyes were pale blue and seemed inquisitive. Hermione gave her a polite nod and Narcissa returned the greeting. "Mrs Malfoy"

Behind them the Hogwarts Express blew its whistle and students began to board the train. Hermione saw how Draco avoided a kiss from his mother before jumping into one of the carriages. Pansy was next and she stood in the open door when Hermione looked over her shoulder at Lucius and Narcissa before also climbing on board the train.

"I'm going to find Blaise. See you later" Draco said and turned left.

Pansy grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her into the nearest compartment and slammed the door. Hermione turned to look at her best friend and saw the strange look in her eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" she asked as she sat down.

"You can't tell anyone..." Pansy said and gestured towards the window. They had a clear view over the platform and Hermione discovered Lucius and Narcissa as well as Mr and Mrs Parkinson. The latter stood further away, looking only half heartedly interested. Pansy stared out of the window too before unexpectedly lowering the blinds and looking at Hermione.

"Pansy, what is going on?" Hermione wanted to know. She had always suspected there was something Pansy wasn't telling her. They were best friends but they still had secrets. Whenever she had asked Pansy about her parents, she had been dismissive and always avoided answering the questions. She had hoped that with her friendship with Pansy she would find parents who understood what it was like to be a witch. Her own parents were ignorant fools who did not have a clue and sometimes she missed a sensible adult to talk to. But over the years she had learned that Pansy's parents were about as inaccessible as Ronald Weasley's brain.

"My parents..." Pansy began and glanced at the door to make sure it was really closed. Dozens of students walked past their compartment, looking for a place to sit. The corridor was full of muffled voices and footsteps. Satisfied that no one could hear them, Pansy looked back at Hermione. "They are not really my parents..."

"Not really... what do you mean?" Hermione asked, realising too late it was a rather dumb question to ask.

"I was adopted" Pansy whispered and another sharp whistle interrupted her sentence. "When I was a baby. Someone left me outside St Mungo's. Nobody quite knew how old I was. And Mr and Mrs Parkinson... they had just lost their baby and the Healers suggested they'd take me home. They were reluctant at first. Obviously the person who had left me was a witch or wizard; otherwise they would not have gone to St Mungo's. But they didn't know whether I was a pure blood..."

Hermione sat back in her seat. It explained why Pansy hardly ever went home and the stoic expressions on her parents' faces. "How did you find out?"

"When I was eleven..." Pansy answered and sighed. Something about her suddenly looked frail and broken, and those were two descriptions no one would ever have given to Pansy Parkinson. "And my Hogwarts letter arrived. It had my real name on it. I think my parents were horrified. Before that, Mother and Father had always told me I was their own. I never even doubted I wasn't... Ever since, everything has changed..."

"Who else knows about this?" Hermione questioned carefully.

"Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. I think they were mortified when they realised the mistake had been made. They called me into the Headmasters office in that first week, remember?" Pansy answered and Hermione nodded. Everybody had thought Pansy was going to be punished for tripping up Ronald Weasley outside the Potions Classroom. The train started moving and slowly rolled out of Kings Cross Station. "And Draco's mother..."

"_Narcissa Malfoy_ knows?" Hermione echoed in surprise and Pansy nodded. Hermione could not imagine Pansy talking to the blonde witch at all and she curiously looked at her best friend. "How come?"

"I needed someone to talk to" Pansy answered and her gaze drifted to the window. They could not see the scenery because the blinds were down but she flicked her wand and they shot back up, revealing the outskirt of London. "And Professor McGonagall said I could always come to her but I think I'd rather make out with a Blast Ended Skrewt. So I wrote Narcissa Malfoy a letter in our first year, telling her who I was. Don't ask me why I wrote to her. I had never even met her but Draco had made her sound like a kind person, compared to his father anyway. She wrote back two days later and we have been exchanging letters ever since..."

"Whenever you leave school in the middle of term and Professor Snape tells us you are ill in the Hospital Wing and we can't visit you..." Hermione said and suddenly realised how awfully bad that excuse sounded. Had they really believed that for the past five years?

"Narcissa invited me over a few times. I think she knew how hard it was. She seemed to understand and she would always listen. And she would let me wander around the Manor, whenever her husband was away for business, and relax in the library and the gardens..." Pansy answered and looked down at her hands. "I don't think she has ever told Lucius or Draco. And Draco said it was her idea to invite us for Christmas..."

Hermione was about to answer when there was a bang on their compartment door. Both girls looked up and saw two sixth year Slytherins press their faces against the glass.

"Mudblood!" one of them called and pulled a face as if someone was slowly strangling him. His eyes were fixed on Hermione, whose hand had already shot down to her pocket. "Traitor!"

"Don't" Pansy leant forward and placed her hand on Hermione's arm. "It's not worth it"

"I wish they would stop doing that" Hermione said and shook her head. Even after five years some of her classmates still did not trust or respect her. She knew it was uncommon for a Muggleborn to be Sorted into Slytherin but she had been in Slytherin for five years. She had hexed Ronald Weasley more times than Draco and Pansy combined and she had ruined several of Harry Potter's potions. She had come to loath both boys more and more with each passing year. "I am as much as Slytherin as you are!"

"I know that, Hermione" Pansy answered and looked at her friend. Hermione was fuming. "They are just being prats"

"It's not just them though. I have heard the whispers – how I tricked the Sorting Hat into placing me into Slytherin. How I don't deserve to be there. How I should have ended up as a filthy Gryffindor..." Hermione shook her head. "Imagine, a _Gryffindor_... with that Potter brat. I have never seen a bigger show off than Potter!"

It seemed Potter has the uncanny ability to draw attention to him wherever he went. In his first year it had something to do with some stupid stone. In his second year there was the terror of Mudbloods being attacked by something that was released out of the Chamber of Secrets. She and all the other Slytherins had wished Ginny Weasley never returned but Potter played hero once again. In their third year Sirius Black escaped, much to the amusement of Draco who told everybody he was related to Black. He and his mother were cousins. And last year there was the Triwizard Tournament and Potter couldn't help his own arrogance and take part. Like any other Slytherin, Hermione had betted how long it would take before he died. It never happened. Instead, Potter returned with Cedric Diggory's body and claimed Lord Voldemort had returned. Nobody believed him. Nobody but the Slytherins.

Hermione had learnt in her first year that many of her classmates' parents had been loyal to the Dark Lord. And the contradictions that she read, about his loathing for Muggleborn but also his desperate need for power, had stirred an interest inside her. She did not even consider herself a Mudblood these days. But she had realised how some of her classmates had begun to whisper in the aftermath of the Tournament. More owls arrived for the Slytherins the next morning and every whisper she heard told her the rumours were true. Lord Voldemort had returned.

The door to their compartment opened and Draco appeared, accompanied by Blaise Zabini. They sat down and Hermione glanced at Pansy, who was gazing out of the window. She felt sorry for her. She hated her own heritage, despised the obvious Muggleborn side of her, and she loathed spending time with her parents. And there was a part of her, just a fragment, which wished she would find out she was adopted too. It was a horrible thought but if she found out she belonged to a pure blood family, the taunting would stop and she would never have to prove herself again.

Hermione sensed there was something Pansy wasn't telling her but she knew her friend would never say anything in front of Draco and Blaise. And so she looked at the two boys, folded her hands behind her head and leant back. She met Draco's eyes and she knew he had heard things over the summer. The corner of her mouth curled up into a little smile.

"So, what's the news?"


	3. Chapter 3

Remember, this is an **AU** fic. I have tried to keep things from the original plot in here – throughout the story- but with a twist. Since Bellatrix does not escape from Azkaban until January 1996, it will be a short while before she makes her first appearance. However, this chapter will function as a stepping stone to all the events that are to follow. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart_

December 1995, 

A thick, white blanket of snow covered the grounds of Hogwarts. The wind had turned bitter cold and every morning the windows were covered in frost. The temperatures never rose above freezing in the day and a meek, pale sun occasionally peered from behind grey winter clouds. The castle was decorated with tinsel, Christmas baubles and icicles. The Great Hall had been transformed into a true Christmas scene with a massive Christmas tree in every corner. Every tree was decorated in the colours of one of the four Houses. Christmas tunes magically filled the castle, sung by choirs of pixies and fairies – unless they were disturbed by Peeves who gave his own, rather rude, twist to some of the carols.

The Great Hall was half empty when Hermione and Pansy walked in that morning, both having left their trunks by the oak front doors for Hagrid to take to Hogsmeade station. Hermione's eyes searched the room and found Draco sitting beside Blaise. He looked up when the two girls walked in and Hermione nudged Pansy.

"You think he regrets asking us?" she whispered as they walked up to the table.

"You have never seen Malfoy Manor, have you?" Pansy answered as they slipped into two spare seats. "He could ask the whole of Slytherin over for Christmas and not see a single person for three days..."

Hermione looked up when the familiar sound of flapping wings announced the arrival of the morning post. Pansy continued eating her porridge. She never received any letters from home. After her confession about being adopted, Pansy had not spoken about her parents with another word. In November she had disappeared for another two days and when Hermione asked whether she was going to the Manor, Pansy did not confirm nor deny it. She returned two days later, seemingly more happy and relaxed. But her moods began to change as Christmas came closer and Hermione felt a sense of resentment. At least Pansy's parents understood her life.

A small church owl landed beside Hermione's toast, almost knocking over her pumpkin juice, and excitedly skipped forward whilst stretching out its paw. A small roll of parchment was attached to it and Hermione fiddled with it for a few seconds before the leather strap came undone. She absentmindedly stroked the owl over the head whilst unrolling the parchment and groaned.

"What is it?" Pansy asked and glanced at the letter her friend was holding. "Who is it from?"

"No one" Hermione answered and drew her wand from her sleeve before Pansy could read the message. She aimed it at the parchment, making it float in the air. "Incendio". Instantly, it caught fire and within seconds the parchment had been reduced to a pile of ashes. Only Hermione had seen the words _"Merry Christmas, love mom and dad" _go up in flames.

"Hey look, its Potty Potter!" Draco grinned and pointed at the door. Hermione and Pansy instantly turned towards the Entrance of the Great Hall and watched Harry Potter walk in, accompanied by Ron and Ginny Weasley. Like any other morning, all sets of eyes in the Great Hall were drawn to the bespectacled boy and instantly, the whispers grew. The Boy Who Lived claimed You-Know-Who had returned. It had made him the laughing stock of the school, even more than usual, and he had become Umbridge's enemy number one. The Slytherins laughed at him, even though they did know he told the truth, but there was something amusing about watching him fail to make everybody believe him.

"Potter and the Weasels" Hermione hissed, loud enough for the three Gryffindors to hear but not loud enough to be picked up by the teachers who were enjoying their breakfast on this last day of term. Ginny Weasley shot her a dark look. Hermione laughed. "It's like a mismatch made in Heaven..."

"You'd wonder why Slytherins allow a Muggleborn in their midst..." Ginny snapped back, her words laced with venom. Harry had already grabbed her arm and mumbled something about 'ignoring them'. "Don't you know that you'll be the first they sacrifice to You-Know-Who?"

Hermione openly laughed and beside her Pansy and Draco looked smug. "I might be a Muggleborn, but at least I'd still be more in the Dark Lord's favour than you'll ever be, you filthy little blood traitor"

It was obvious Ginny wanted to say something else, but now both Ron and Harry grabbed her arm and yanked her down into her seat. Harry shot a hateful look in Malfoy's direction, who was leaning casually back in his seat and had already engaged in conversation with Pansy and Blaise. Only Hermione saw the look and she met his eyes. Within seconds Harry had turned away and Hermione grinned before finishing off her toast and her pumpkin juice.

After breakfast they wrapped up warm in their coats, scarves, glove s and hats and joined the large group of students leaving the castle. It was bitter cold outside and Hermione huddled a little deeper into her black coat and wrapped her green and silver scarf a little tighter around her face, only revealing her eyes. She sank till over her ankles into the snow and the walk down to Hogsmeade Station was made a lot harder because of this. Snowballs kept whizzing around their heads and Hermione saw from the corner of her eye how Draco on purposely knocked over a second year, causing him to slide down the hill on his backside.

"Have you heard from Narcissa recently?" Hermione whispered. She and Pansy and fallen back. Draco and Blaise were several yards in front. She knew Draco didn't know about Pansy speaking to his mother. Pansy had made her swear not to tell him.

"Not since the last time I saw her" Pansy answered. Tears were streaming down her face because of the cold, harsh wind. She looked at Hermione. Her face looked the same. Snowflakes had entangled in her bushy brown hair. "She seemed worried"

"Worried?" Hermione parroted. She was out of breath.

"Like something is troubling her" Pansy said tentatively. She seemed to stare at something in the distance. Through the trees they could just about see Hogsmeade Station and the bright red steam train. "I only just managed to avoid Lucius when I left. He doesn't know I come visit, you see"

Hermione stood still and slowly looked at her best friend. Something suddenly fell into place. She narrowed her eyes. "Exactly what _is _going on between you and Narcissa Malfoy?"

Pansy didn't answer. Instead, she just kept walking and Hermione had to jog to keep up with her. She grabbed her arm and spun her around. Pansy's eyes met hers and Hermione cocked her head. "Well?"

"Nothing" Pansy sighed and Hermione's hand slipped from her arm. She averted her eyes and another stray snowball whizzed past their heads, crashing into the back of an unsuspecting Ravenclaw. "I talk, she listens. Sometimes she talks and I listen. And sometimes, we just don't do anything at all and she lets me go my own way. Like I said, remember? I like sitting by the fire in the library, reading one of her old books. It feels like what home should feel like..."

Hermione didn't answer and began walking again. Pansy followed and they continued the remainder of the walk down to the station in silence. Draco and Blaise were waiting for them on the platform and the four of them found a compartment. Hermione instantly cleaned her boots and warmed her clothes with her wand and her friends followed suit. Hermione sat by the window, across from Draco, and she watched how he followed the other students with his eyes as they walked past. She knew he was looking for Harry and another way to taunt him.

"I hear Weasley's father got hurt whilst doing a job for the Ministry..." Draco said on a menacing tone when four ginger haired students and one dark haired one filed past their compartment. "You'd wonder how one gets hurt when all you handle is stupid Muggle junk..."

"If their dad got hurt, why did Dumbledore not send them home?" Pansy questioned.

Draco shrugged. "Have you ever known that old idiot to make a sane decision? Father always said this school has gone to hell and looks like he's right. I wish he'd sent me to Durmstrang..."

Hermione glanced out of the window. Every day she wondered why the Sorting Hat had placed her in Slytherin. Teachers had wondered about it, too. But she knew her own potential. She knew she was better than most of her classmates. But that didn't change anything about what she was. The only Muggleborn, the only _Mudblood_, every to have made it there. Most days she forgot about the blood in her veins. She had no pictures of her parents here and every letter she received she burned. Their names, their love, meant nothing to her. They were part of a world she never wished to be part of again. And they didn't understand what she was, what she had become and what she could be. She could deny where she came from, but she could not deny what she was. Her classmates only occasionally reminded her of what she was, mainly those older than her. And the Gryffindors liked to point it out – not realising it felt more like a confirmation than a taunt when they said it.

The rain slowly rolled out of Hogsmeade Station, through the snow covered land, and Hermione gazed out of the window as the scenery flashed by. She would be seventeen next year. It was the legal age in the wizarding world. She couldn't wait for September to come. She would change everything. The mere thought stirred excitement inside of her. The day she turned seventeen was the day she wouldn't need her parents anymore.

The journey back to London was a quiet one. Blaise and Draco indulged themselves in a game of Wizard Chess, a game that was won by Draco but Hermione suspected Blaise had let him win because Draco was a horrible loser. Pansy was reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet and pointed out that the Ministry went out of its way to paint Potter in a bad light. And Hermione rested her head against the window and dozed off into a dreamless sleep.

When they arrived at Kings Cross Station darkness had fallen and as they left the train and collected their trunks from the pickup point, Hermione looked around the platform. She wasn't sure what to expect but Narcissa Malfoy in an expensive coat and matching scarf and hat was not what she had imagined. She had bound her blonde hair into a neat pony tail, with a few strands falling down the side of her face and the corner of her mouth twitched when Draco, Hermione, Pansy and Blaise reached her.

She kissed Draco on his cheek and beckoned the others to follow her. They made their way back into the Muggle part of the station, much to Narcissa's disapproval and Hermione's discomfort, and eventually reached a waiting car, driven by a Ministry official. Hermione glanced at Narcissa, who seemed most displeased by their method of transport, but it would be hard to Apparate with four underage witches and wizards and their luggage. So Hermione climbed into the back seat and sat down between Pansy and Draco. Blaise was the last one to get in. The door closed and the car set off. Hermione had no idea where she was going but she was about to spend Christmas at Malfoy Manor.

~()~

It turned out that Malfoy Manor was both hauntingly scary as well as amazingly beautiful. The contradictions started as soon as they arrived. The Manor was build out of black bricks and black roof panels and formed a shadow like contrast against the star riddled back drop. But the soft snow on the roofs and covering the gardens seemed to erase some of its hardness, replacing it by an almost magical glow. Behind the countless windows yellow candle light flickered and she could hear the soft flow of water from a fountain when they walked up the gravel path towards the front door. Inside, the walls were covered with paintings. Blonde haired, blue eyes ancestors of the Malfoy Family inspected the guests as they stepped into the dimly lit hallway, brushing the snow of their coats and boots. House elves came rushing to their side, bowing so low that their large noses touched the hard wooden floor.

Blaise and Pansy were not new to the Manor and after the house elves had taken their coats and disappeared with their trunks and bags, they climbed the marble staircase to the second floor, followed by Draco. She knew he was showing them to their rooms and was surprised when Narcissa held her back for a few more seconds.

"Miss Granger..." she spoke and Hermione was unsure whether Narcissa's voice was filled with kindness or held back contempt.

"Thank you for letting me stay here during the holidays, Mrs Malfoy..." Hermione said politely and accompanied her words with a polite, almost submissive nod. There was something about Narcissa Malfoy that made her feel submissive and she averted her eyes, unsure whether making eye contact was appropriate. She had learned from Draco's bragging that his parents were in good favour with the Dark Lord.

"Miss Granger, I am aware I have never before expressed my knowledge of your blood status..." Narcissa said and Hermione's eyes snapped up. This was an invitation to eye contact.

"I was not aware my blood status influenced my stay here" Hermione answered whilst swallowing back the lump in her throat. Her stomach constricted. Narcissa Malfoy and her husband were obsessed with blood purity and she did not expected Narcissa to kindly accept her into her home. As far as she knew, she was the first Muggleborn ever to set foot between these walls. "But I am in your home and if you wish for me to leave, I can understand..."

"You may stay, Miss Granger" Narcissa unexpectedly said and Hermione seemed puzzled. "The Sorting Hat makes no mistakes. You have been sorted into Slytherin for a reason, Miss Granger. It has recognised something valuable in you. Something that could, perhaps, change everything..."

"I am not so sure of that" Hermione cynically answered, much to Narcissa's surprise. The blonde witch looked at the young brunette. "When was the last time a Mudblood was fully accepted into Slytherin? I despise what I am, and though my classmates ignore it most days, I know they do too"

The use of the word Mudblood brought a mixed expression to Narcissa's face. "It is unusual..." she chose her words carefully and left a certain mystery lingering between them. "But it is not unheard off, Miss Granger. Now, one of the elves will escort you to your room. Dinner is served at eight, I expect you down ten minutes prior and appropriately dressed. We shall speak another time"

Out of nowhere another house elf appeared. It squeaked in its high pitched voice about being happy to serve, but Hermione barely listened. As she climbed the marble staircase, she peered over the banister and found Narcissa standing in the open door, staring out into the night. She hesitated for just a few more minutes, wondering what Narcissa expected to find in the snow, but then followed the elf up to the second floor. They walked across the landing, with doors every few metres on either side. There was no sign of Draco, Pansy or Blaise and she suspected they were freshening up and getting changed.

"Your room, Madam" the elf squeaked and the door swung open, revealing the room behind. With a soft 'pop', the elf disappeared and Hermione stepped into the room that would be hers for the next two weeks. It was grand and ornate, with a four poster bed with white satin curtains. It seemed the room had been decorated with a woman's hand, though Hermione suspected some of the other rooms were darker than this. The bed and the desk were made out of the same dark wood and the sofa and arm chair matched the leather chair she had seen in the hall. Thick, black drapes covered the windows from floor to ceiling and her feet sunk into the plush carpet. A door on her left revealed a bathroom with a marble white tub, sink with silver taps and toilet. A large mirror covered part of the wall and both the bathroom and bedroom were lit by candle light.

She spent the remaining hour enjoying a soak in the warm bath, washed her hair and got changed in a pair of black jeans, black boots and a V neck burgundy red jumper. She dried her hair by magic, styled it by pinning a few strands randomly across her head and checked the mirror. She did not normally bother with her appearance but she had the feeling it was expected of her. When she stepped out of her room she ran into Pansy on the landing. She too had had a bath and changed.

"What did Narcissa want?" Pansy curiously asked as they descended down the stairs.

"Just a reminder I am never quite going to be as good as anybody else..." Hermione answered and Pansy shot her a questioning look. Hermione didn't say anything else and there wasn't time to change the subject. Draco and Blaise waited for them at the bottom of the stairs and the four of them made their way through the hall towards the dining room.

The room was magnificent, with three crystal chandeliers hanging over the glass table. It was loaded with food of all kinds of varieties and Hermione could feel the tingling sensation of house elf magic as the glasses filled with wine. Draco and Blaise pulled back chairs for Hermione and Pansy before taking their own seats and just as they sat down, Narcissa walked into the room. Draco's head whipped up.

"Where's Father?" he questioned. He seemed disappointed his mother was alone.

"Out" was all Narcissa said. Her blue eyes rested on Hermione before raising her crystal glass to make a silent toast. She placed the glass against her lips, took a small sip from the wine and the n nodded at Draco that was it was time to serve.

Hermione looked at Pansy and did not miss how she instantly averted her gaze. It had been lingering on Narcissa Malfoy a mere few seconds ago but now dropped to her plate of potatoes and vegetables. She pushed them around with her fork and seemed not interested in eating at all.

"I am sure the food is perfectly adequate" Hermione hissed through her teeth and Pansy shot her a dark look.

She reached for her wine glass and took a sip. The alcohol felt almost soothing as it trickled down her throat and when she put her glass back down, she met Narcissa's eyes. Hermione wasn't sure whether to smile and instead she too gazed back down at her plate. But beside her, Pansy glanced at her yet again and when their eyes met Hermione instantly recognised the most furious form of jealousy she had ever encountered.

And suddenly she realised that this Christmas was going to be anything but what she had expected.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

_Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.  
~Sir Walter Scott_

Hermione found herself standing by one of the windows in the large drawing room that night. The room was dimly lit by some candles and the fire in the fire place. The sound of the crackling flames was strangely soothing and up till a few seconds ago she had watched how the logs were reduced to piles of ashes. Now she stood gazing out into the world. Snow fell from the sky, accumulating against the walls surrounding the Manor gardens. Even in the dark it still seemed to glisten. Blaise and Draco had disappeared outside though she had no idea as to why anyone would want to be out in weather like this. It was cold and windy and frost had begun to cover the glass.

She turned around when the sound of footsteps betrayed the arrival of another person and found Pansy walking into the drawing room. The brunette sat down on the leather sofa by the fireplace, pulling up her legs underneath her. Hermione hesitated for a moment or two but then approached her and sat down in one of the arm chairs.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Hermione asked and Pansy's head whipped up. Hermione's harsh tone seemed to have startled her. "I know you don't think very highly of Muggle borns in general but did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"

"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?" Pansy asked and sat up. She crossed her arms in front of her chest in a defensive manner and pierced her dark brown eyes into Hermione's. "If you have something to say, don't hesitate!"

Hermione flicked her wand and the door to the drawing room closed instantly. The sound of the lock falling in place was a strange, haunting sound. Her eyes then fixed on Pansy. "You and Narcissa Malfoy..."

Pansy cocked her head. "I fail to see your point..."

"Are you... seeing her?" Hermione questioned. Any hesitation had disappeared from her voice and she stared at Pansy. "Your little visits to the Manor... not to mention the way you look at her..." Pansy shook her head but Hermione didn't let go. "You know, I could care less about who you sleep with – you could screw every Gryffindor for all I care- but don't you think it would be fairer on Draco if you at least told him you were intending to become his stepmother?"

Pansy sprung to her feet and now stood in front of Hermione. Her hands were shaking and for an instant it had looked like she had been ready to draw her wand. But her arm fell lifeless beside her body and she turned away from Hermione. "You haven't got the right..."

"Well, _are you_?" Hermione demanded but Pansy shook her head and began pacing around the room.

"No" she eventually said and her eyes briefly met Hermione's. The brunette had not moved on the sofa. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chin and her arms around her legs. Only her eyes followed Pansy around the room. Pansy seemed reluctant to say more but Hermione's piercing gaze forced the words over her lips. "But I want to"

Hermione slowly nodded. "And she knows?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. She had reached the fireplace and stared into the flames. In the glooming light she seemed hauntingly pale and she didn't turn to look at Hermione. "Yeah, she knows. And that was the biggest mistake I ever made. Ever since then she doesn't want to talk to me anymore. She hasn't answered my letters and she has barely looked at me since we arrived!"

Hermione didn't answer and Pansy took this as a sign of rejection and turned around to look at her. "Well? Aren't you going to yell at me or something?"

Hermione shrugged and lowered her legs back onto the floor. She slowly stood up and started for the door. Just before she was about to leave she turned around. Pansy was staring at her. "And what would that solve? Screaming at you, I mean. So you're in love with Narcissa Malfoy. Shit happens. You'll get over it"

"I don't want to get over it" Pansy sulked and fell down in the nearest arm chair.

Hermione shook her head and stepped out of the room. She glanced at Pansy over her shoulder and was surprised how little pity she felt for her friend. She had never been in love herself but she surely wasn't going to allow herself to fall in love with someone who would never love her back. Her best friend looked like a torn, miserable mess. "You'll have to. She's told you she's not interested. That isn't going to change"

"She seemed to find you rather fascinating though..." Pansy unexpectedly snapped and Hermione, who was about to close the door, turned back and stepped back into the room. She carefully closed the door behind her and her eyes fixed on Pansy, who had stood back up and faced her.

"Excuse me?"

"She only had eyes for you during dinner" Pansy said as she made her way past the sofa's and towards Hermione. Instinctively Hermione's hand lowered down to her pocket and cherished the familiar wood of her wand. Pansy mimicked her gesture and both witches drew their wands at the same time. Pansy was an arm's length away and her wand was raised to the level of Hermione's stomach. "She seemed to find you quite interesting..."

"You're overreacting. Look, you're upset because she turned you down. And that sucks, I know. But there is no need to start waving your wand around like some maniac..." Hermione hissed through clenched teeth and her own wand almost poked into Pansy's chest. "Not to mention you will never beat me..."

Pansy seemed to think about those words for a moment and then she slowly lowered her wand. Hermione waited until she had put it away before she stored her own. She searched for the door handle behind her back, opened the door and stepped out of the room. Before she walked away she turned to look at her friend. Pansy looked defeated and still angry.

"I thought we were friends, Pansy..." she said before closing the door and leaving her friend in the drawing room. She made her way down the corridor that led back to the hall and began ascending the marble staircase when the clicking sound of heels made her turn around. Narcissa appeared out of the dining room and her blue eyes were almost instantly drawn to Hermione.

"Good night, Miss Granger" she smiled politely.

"Good night, Mrs Malfoy" Hermione answered hesitantly and glanced in the direction of the drawing room. She suspected Pansy would see any conversation between her and Narcissa as a betrayal and she sighed. She did pity her friend but she doubted Narcissa would ever be attracted to Pansy. Love was something for weaklings. She doubted she would ever lose her heart to love. She had grown up hating the romantic novels created by Muggle writers; depicting something so perfect that was at the same time so horrible, so weak and so broken.

Hermione eventually reached her room. She stripped off, changed into her pyjamas and slipped under the sheets. They felt strange and unfamiliar and yet warm. She rolled onto her side and her eyes fixed on the window. Through a small gap in the curtains she could still see the snowflakes fall from the sky and she sighed to herself. Pansy was her best friend. Draco and Blaise were her friends too, though she had never once discussed something so personal with them. Her fellow Slytherins were her only true family and somehow, or despite of it all, she felt like she never quite belonged anywhere.

~()~

It did not stop snowing for days on end and the world had changed into an idyllic picture of magical beauty. Hermione had noticed Lucius Malfoy was never home and often enough she would find Narcissa glancing out of a window as if she was looking for something. Whether it was her husband, Hermione did not know. But it was obvious there was something Narcissa was waiting for.

It was Christmas Day when Hermione first saw Lucius Malfoy. When she came down in the morning, closely followed by Pansy, Blaise and Draco, they found him in the dining room. He was sat beside Narcissa and looked up when the four teenagers entered the room. Hermione instantly sensed the change in Pansy's posture and had to grab her wrist to remind her where they were.

"You might as well invite him to Avada Kedavra you at this rate..." she whispered as they took their seats at the breakfast table. Her eyes rested on Lucius for a moment but he did not meet her gaze. She then glanced at Narcissa and their eyes met. Beside her, Pansy stuck her knife into her fried egg a little too enthusiastically.

Breakfast was mainly a silent occasion and Hermione had not expected to be overloaded with presents. Draco and Blaise seemed tired. Neither had ever been much of a morning person. Pansy finished only half her breakfast and then excused herself, whispering something about a headache and wanting to rest. Only Hermione heard the tears in her voice and she glanced over her shoulder when her friend left the room. She knew that as Pansy's friend she should probably see if she was all right, but she did not stand up.

"Hermione, I was wondering whether you would accompany me for a walk after breakfast" Narcissa unexpectedly said and Hermione looked up.

"Of course" Hermione answered. She was fully aware how Pansy would react if she even saw them together but in this brief instant, she did not care. She wondered whether Narcissa knew Pansy had told her how she felt and if this was the reason why Narcissa wanted to spend time with her.

"Meet me in the hall in half an hour" Narcissa said and then excused herself from the table. Lucius watched her leave but seemed not to mind. His eyes briefly fixed on Hermione and she met his gaze. She felt he wanted to say something but either could not find the words or changed his mind. She finished off her drink and then excused herself. By the time she reached the hall, Narcissa was gone. She looked around and then ran up the stairs. Pansy's room was down the hall from hers and she knocked on the door.

"Can I come in?" she called and she could hear muffled footsteps on the other side. The door opened and Pansy's head appeared.

"I don't want to talk" Pansy answered and Hermione sighed.

"Listen, we are going to be here for a few more days. You will have to make the best out of this even if it sucks..." Hermione said and downstairs she heard footsteps. Draco and Blaise had left the dining room. She just hoped they wouldn't come upstairs. "You can't keep doing this. Lucius wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he even as much as suspected you're in love with his wife!"

"Thanks for the lecture" Pansy groaned and began to close the door. "Just bugger off, all right?"

"Is this how you treat all your friends?" Hermione snapped and Pansy slammed the door completely, leaving Hermione to land her fist against the hard wood. "Oh hang on; no one else wants to be your friend! And I am beginning to understand why!"

She turned on her heels, hurried in to her own room to grab her coat and scarf and then went back downstairs. As she ascended she found Narcissa already waiting by the door and the blonde witch smiled. Together they stepped outside and they instantly sunk deep into the blanket of snow. It had stopped snowing overnight and the world looked magical. A thick pack of snow rested on the branches of trees and as Hermione looked out over the gardens, the paths were untouched. The snow looked virginal.

"Is Miss Parkinson all right?" Narcissa questioned as they slowly made their way down the snow covered path. They left deep footprints behind.

"I think she is coming down with a migraine" Hermione lied and shielded her eyes against the sun glistening on the snow. "I told her to ask one of the house elves to get her some painkillers..." She hesitated and held still. Slowly she turned to look at Narcissa. "She... she has told me the truth..."

Narcissa slowly nodded. "I suspected she might have..."

Hermione sighed. "Mrs Malfoy, I am in no position to judge and shall not do so..."

Narcissa cocked her head. "Miss Granger, forgive me... I did not bring you out to talk about Miss Parkinson. I am merely being observant... You are Muggleborn. And yet you have been placed in Slytherin..."

"The only thing that binds me to my past is my blood but it does not define who I am" Hermione spoke and her words were laced with venom. She held still and gazed up to one of the top windows of the Manor. It was the window to Pansy's room and not to her surprise she found her friend gazing outside. Hermione's stomach wrenched but she looked at Narcissa. "I do not feel like a Muggleborn and have no intention to ever return to _that_ life..."

Narcissa glanced at Hermione. Curiosity flickered in her eyes and there was a hint of mystery in her voice. She almost seemed to be looking for confirmation and she ran her slim fingers through her blonde hair. She stepped closer to Hermione and intense blue eyes pierced into hazel brown. Her voice reduced to a whisper. "Whose cause do you support, Miss Granger?"

Hermione arched an eyebrow and then the corner of her mouth curled up into what could only be described as a devious smile. Her eyes shot up to discover Pansy was no longer watching. She did not feel any sense of guilt. Strangely, she barely felt anything at all. "The winning one..."

Narcissa looked as if she was going to say something else but she never got a chance. Behind them, a few metres back, the front door opened and Pansy appeared. Her face looked flushed and her eyes had widened. The wind tugged at her dark hair. Hermione turned around and saw her friend run through the snow, rapidly approaching her. Hermione's hand immediately reached for her wand but by the time she had drawn it, Pansy had reached her and without warning Pansy's fist collided with Hermione's cheek. There was a sickening crack and Hermione's world instantly began to spin and fade into a blur. The pain was overwhelming and she staggered on her feet, looking for something to hold on to. Failing to reach for Narcissa's arm, she dropped down onto her knees and burgundy drops appeared in the crystal white snow.

"YOU TOLD ME..." Pansy shouted and her fist grabbed a handful of Hermione's brown hair. Without warning she yanked her towards her and Hermione let out a desperate cry of pain. Yet the pain did not internally hurt her. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and her heart was hammering in her chest. The blood continued to seep from the cut on her cheek and her jaw began to swell. She could feel it pounding and Hermione did not doubt the impact of Pansy's fist had broken it.

"Pansy!" Narcissa cried and jumped forward. Her fingers closed around Pansy's arm and almost instantly did Pansy's hand released Hermione's hair. She held several strands of dark brown hair clutched between her fingers and she stared at Hermione, who now lay in the snow, panting. She crawled back onto her feet, pressing a hand against her jaw. It was thumping and the pain dazzled her, but the adrenaline rushed through her veins, bringing her to an almost unexplainable high. Blood seeped through her fingers but her hazel eyes fixed on Pansy.

"That's one definition of friendship I have never seen before..." Hermione breathed and rose to her full figure. She glanced at Narcissa. "Will you tell her or shall I?"

"We were just talking, Pansy. I expressed my curiosity about somebody like Hermione becoming a Slytherin... I was determining whose side she's on..." Narcissa answered and looked at Pansy, who had let Hermione's hair slip from her fingers and gazed at the brunette and the blonde. "You have entrusted me with your feelings and I am sorry to disappoint you but nothing will ever happen, Pansy. I know life has treated you unfairly but this is uncalled for!"

Hermione looked at Pansy. "What is friendship without a little bloodshed, eh?"

Pansy looked at Narcissa, ignoring Hermione's comment. "What is you're saying, Cissy?"

"Narcissa" Narcissa corrected her and Hermione saw how Pansy's face changed. "Perhaps it would be best if we do not see each other again, Pansy..."

"You ruined everything!" Pansy shouted at Hermione and Narcissa had to draw her own wand to raise a quick Shield Charm between the two young witches. Hermione had not attempted to hex Pansy at all, nor did she show any sign she was about to defend herself. She had taken on the abuse and her pupils were still dilated. The colour had returned to her cheeks. She seemed brighter and more alive than ever.

"Do not send her way just yet, Narcissa..." Hermione said and looked at the blonde witch. The sensation, the rush, of the pain was wearing off and she slowly came to her senses. It was as if she landed back on Earth. "It is me who is leaving. For various reasons. I shall wait in the hall while the elves collect my belongings..." She began walking towards the front door and ignored Narcissa calling her back. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder and her gaze locked with Pansy's.

"See you at Hogwarts, Parkinson"


	5. Chapter 5

The friendship between Pansy and Hermione is one based on mutual dislike for others and dislike for themselves. In this way they have learned to accept each other...

* * *

**Chapter 4**

_Evil brings men together  
~Aristotle_

Her parents had been surprised to find her standing in the living room that night, covered in snow and somewhat frozen. She had walked from the train station, which was a half an hour walk. She had left her trunk in the hall and when her mother asked why she was not staying at Malfoy Manor, Hermione answered that there had been an unexpected change of plans. Her mother was quick to make her a steaming mug of tea and Hermione sat with her parents for a little while, answering the shallow questions they always asked, before going upstairs to go to bed. And in the next fortnight that was where she spent most of her time; the safe seclusion of her bedroom. Her parents returned to work the day after Boxing Day and she barely saw them.

Now she stood on the platform in Kings Cross, alone. It was January and the snow had melted. It was still bitter cold and the wind was unforgiving. She was wrapped up in her coat and scarf and left her parents at the station's entrance. Her trunk lay with a pile of others, ready to be loaded onto the train. She looked around for Pansy, Draco and Blaise but she did not see her friends amongst the students returning to Hogwarts. She did see Harry Potter accompanied by Ginny, Ron, Fred and George Weasley. The twins were wearing matching though hideous jumpers.

She eventually boarded the Hogwarts Express alone and had a compartment to herself. Throughout the journey she never once saw her friends and the silence was her companion. There was something odd about the journey. Like a whisper that spoke of something unknown. The world looked grey outside. Thick clouds had packed together in the sky and she had noticed how the students all huddled together, even on the train. No one seemed to be going anywhere alone. It was as if the strange sensation had spread amongst all students and many gazed out of the window, wondering what was happening out there that made the world feel so cold and so abandoned.

Hermione rested her head against the window and closed her eyes. She felt cold and numb inside, like there was no room for any feeling. She remembered the adrenaline rush created by the pain when Pansy broke her jaw. She had fixed it before she returned to her parents but she missed the feeling. She had felt _alive. _Like a part of her had suddenly learnt to live. _Like she was real._

~()~

Hermione did not see Pansy until they both reached their dormitories that night. They stared at each other before they unpacked their trunks and waited for the other two girls who shared their room to leave. Once they were gone and Hermione had securely locked the door, she turned to Pansy. Her friend seemed brighter but Hermione did not ask why. She did not want to talk about Narcissa. She did not walk to talk at all.

"What were you going to do?" Pansy asked. Hermione detected the slight hint of fear in her voice and smirked. "Attack me?"

"It seems that violence is more your thing..." Hermione pointed out and cocked her head. "Whatever happened to our friendship, Pansy? When did something as foolish as love decide our destiny?"

"_Destiny_? What do you know about destiny? You're a Mudblood in Slytherin for Merlin's sake!" Pansy taunted and shook her head. Hermione felt anger roar in the pit of her stomach. She could live with the humiliation. But it was the personal taunting that angered her. "What destiny do you think you could possibly have? Once the Dark Lord is out in the open there will be no place for people like you!"

"Nor will there be a place for weaklings like you. Only fools let their hearts guide them! You let your emotions control you!" Hermione hissed and with a flick of her wand she lifted the Beauty spell that had covered the purple bruise on her cheek. She had fixed the bone but not healed the bruise that had formed. It was a reminder of what she had felt, for the first time, when the pain controlled her. Her hazel brown eyes widened, her pupils dilated. "Your heart is a weakness! Do you think the Dark Lord has a place for a weakling like you?"

"Who are you?" Pansy asked suddenly and stared at Hermione in a mixture of contempt and horror. "What have you become?"

"What I was always destined to be" Hermione answered and turned on her heels, storing her wand in the sleeve of her robe. She left the dormitory, walked through the common room and then disappeared out into the dungeon corridors.

There was a feast that night to welcome the students back to Hogwarts but Hermione never showed. Instead she trailed outside in the darkness and the cold, with only her own thoughts for company. Her friendship with Pansy had been based on the balance that neither of them was liked very much by their fellow classmates. Pansy because she was unattractive, not the sharpest tool in the box and because no one knew for sure where she came from. Her adoption story had been leaked right before Christmas and it made people question who or what she was. At least with Hermione they knew what she was, and she used it to her advantage. Rather a Mudblood and hated, than being hated for not knowing what you are at all.

~()~

The next morning the Great Hall was full of voices filled with fear. Students gathered together in small groups and all inspected the front page of the Daily Prophet. Some of them looked horrified; others looked simply frightened to death. There, in the middle of the page, was a picture of Azkaban. Part of its wall had been blasted away and the waves were crashing against the surrounding rocks. Around the picture of the prison, ten faces stared back at the readers. Nine wizards and one witch.

Hermione looked at the faces and her eyes were drawn to one picture in particular. The raven haired witch with the pale skin and the charcoal black eyes stared back at her in a menacing way. She held her Azkaban prison sign up and Hermione saw the number tattooed in the side of her neck, partially obscured by her dark ringlets. She had heavy lidded eyes, high cheek bones and thin, dark red lips. Even in the ragged Azkaban clothes she still looked like a picture of beauty and Hermione resisted tracing the outline of Bellatrix Lestrange's face.

MASS BREAK OUT screamed the headline and Hermione went on to read how then high profile security prisoners had escaped from Azkaban the night before. The more she read, the more the demonic smile spread across her face. The Minister of Magic was eager to blame the outbreak on Sirius Black, cousin of Bellatrix Lestrange, but as she looked around the table she knew the Slytherins knew better. And when her eyes locked on the Gryffindor table, she knew they knew too.

Hermione's eyes were drawn back to the picture of Bellatrix Lestrange and the longer she stared at the face, the more the features became familiar. She had seen this woman before. Carefully, her index finger brushed along the picture as if to touch Bellatrix's face and suddenly she realised where she had seen her. The picture had been in a golden frame, above the fireplace in the dining room at Malfoy Manor. It had been part of a set. The second frame held a picture of Narcissa Malfoy. The pictures were old and dated but it was the same woman nonetheless. Bellatrix was Narcissa's sister.

"That's Mother's owl" Draco commented beside her and Hermione looked up. A large tawny owl graciously landed beside Hermione's plate and pecked at her finger before sticking out its paw. On her other side, Pansy leant in and curiously watched how Hermione peeled a small roll of parchment from the owl's leg. She unrolled it and to her surprise found it was empty.

Pansy sat back, rather disappointed and Hermione wondered why Narcissa would send her an owl with an empty piece of parchment. _Unless she doesn't want anybody else to read it. _Hermione sat up, drew her wand under the table and placed the parchment in her lap. She tapped it once and muttered a very soft "Specialis Revelio" Instantly burning letters appeared on the parchment, spelling out a brief message.

_Shrieking Shack. Midnight. _

Without warning, the parchment turned into ashes and Hermione brushed it onto the floor. Her magic had remained unnoticed to Pansy and Draco. Neither of them seemed to wonder why the owl had arrived without a message and Hermione watched how it took off through one of the windows. Within seconds it was just a small black dot against the grey sky.

For the remainder of the day Hermione sat through her classes. She performed well in Transfiguration, causing a reluctant Professor McGonagall to award twenty points to Slytherin. She surprised Professor Snape by delivering an excellent potion and as Head of House he awarded her another twenty points. The rest of her classmates looked smug. The forty points meant they had surpassed Gryffindor; something they knew would piss them off. She sat through another block of Charms and a History of Magic lesson before the bell rang for the end of the day. She did not join her classmates in the Great Hall but instead she gathered some food on a plate and ate in the dormitory. By the time Pansy appeared to do her homework, Hermione had finished her own and got changed into a pair of black jeans and a black jumper. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, reading her Potions book when Pansy walked in.

"Going somewhere?" Pansy asked suspiciously and Hermione looked up.

"Just a late night stroll. It's getting to cramped in here. Bloody first years do my head in like no tomorrow. You'd think pure bloods have more grace than to behave like a bunch of idiots!" she said and slipped off the bed. "Hey, have you ever been to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Hasn't everybody?" Pansy questioned in surprise. "It's so close to Hogsmeade... everyone goes there!"

"Yes, I know that" Hermione answered and grinned. "But I mean, have you ever actually been _inside_?"

"Why would I want to go inside? The building is haunted, remember? Besides, I doubt anyone knows how to get in..." Pansy said and took her Charms book out of her back. She groaned when she realised what she had to write. "Did you finish that essay for Professor Flitwick?"

"Yeah. It's on top of my Transfiguration book. You can look at it but try not to literally copy it. Not like last time..." Hermione laughed and Pansy send her a grateful smile before reaching for Hermione's homework. "Flitwick isn't as dim-witted as he appears..." She paused. "Do you have any idea how to get inside the Shrieking Shack?"

"Why would you want to?" Pansy asked and Hermione shrugged.

"It would be fun" she answered and started for the door. She glanced over her shoulder and turned to see Pansy read through her essay. She smirked. "I'd like to see it from the inside. I think those ghosts had better be afraid of me..."

Pansy didn't answer and Hermione left the dormitory. It was still too early to meet Narcissa and she sat down in the common room for awhile, staring in to the fire. Most students were sitting around doing their homework. A few were practicing spells and charms they had learnt earlier today. She ignored them, focusing merely on a way to get to the Shrieking Shack. She was disturbed from her thoughts when Draco sat down beside her.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, slightly more defensive than she had intended and Draco arched an eyebrow.

"What got your wand in a knot?"

Hermione groaned and stood up. "I was just trying to think of a way to get into the Shrieking Shack. This bloody castle is doing my head in. At least there nobody will bother me!"

"Rumour has it there is an entrance under the Whomping Willow" Draco casually answered and Hermione turned to look at him in surprise. She had not expected Draco to give her the answer she was so desperate for. Curiously she looked at him and he explained himself. "Apparently Potter tried getting into it a few years back. He never quite made it passed the tree. Obviously not been paying attention in Charms, as usual..."

Hermione nodded and started for the door leading out of the room but changed her mind and turned. Draco had followed her with his eyes and Hermione smiled. "Great. Thanks. Hey, I never thanked for your mother for letting me stay till Christmas. Next time you write to her, will you tell her?"

She then left the common room after she made sure the corridors were free of patrolling teachers and made her way out of the dungeons and into the Entrance Hall. The castle was lit by torches and candles, creating strange and eerie shadows across the walls. She just caught the Bloody Baron drifting into the Great Hall and listened to hear if Mrs Norris was around. That darn cat always turned up during her midnight walks. She hurried across the Entrance Hall to the large oak doors, pushed them open and drew her wand before stepping out into the cold evening air. The door silently closed behind her and she started for the nearest tree.

This afternoon, during the lunch break, she had left her coat and scarf hidden on one of the top branches – courtesy of a levitation charm- and now she summoned them down. She wrapped her scarf around her face, only leaving her eyes free and put on her coat. She glanced over her shoulder at the castle before she began to run, making sure to stay hidden in the shadows. The moon peered out from behind the clouds every so often and occasionally lit up her brown hair as she moved through the trees.

She eventually reached the bottom of the hill on which the Whomping Willow stood. It seemed still and frozen but Hermione knew better. Everybody knew how dangerous and violent Whomping Willows were and they attacked anything and anybody that came within the reach of their branches. Her heart hammered in her chest and she glanced at her watch. It was half past eleven. She had half an hour to make it to her meeting with Narcissa. With a trembling hand Hermione drew her wand and aimed it at the tree.

"Immobulus!"

The tree didn't stir and Hermione hesitated before taking a few steps in the trees direction. She was now in reach of its branches but none of them moved and she felt secure the tree had indeed been frozen. The uneasy, heavy feeling in her heart disappeared. When she reached the tree she discovered an entrance right at the bottom, hidden between its roots. It was covered by leaves and grass and she brushed them aside, revealing what looked like the entrance to a tunnel. She carefully began descending down, finding steps had been carved into the soil that created something like a staircase.

"Lumos" she whispered and the tip of her wand began to glow. The tunnel was dark and she used her wand as a guide to find her way. Her heart began hammering in her chest, louder with every step she took. In the distance she could hear something creak. The tunnel smelled of rotten leaves, soil and rain and Hermione huddled a little deeper into her coat as she continued her journey. The light from her wand created strange figures on the walls and she increased her pace.

Eventually she reached what seemed to be the end of the tunnel and another set of steps. She climbed them up and reached a wooden hatch over her head. She pushed against it with both her hands, ignoring how rough splinters pierced into her skin, and the hatch gave way, revealing the inside of the Shrieking Shack. She climbed out of the tunnel and her eyes looked around the room. She had never been inside before.

The Shack was in shambles. What had once been a four poster bed had been torn to shreds. Wood splinters littered the floor. Curtains had been ripped from the windows and the fabric lay across the floor, covered in dirt and mould. One of the windows was broken and a cold gust of wind blew into the room. Pieces of shattered glass glistened on the floor. A wardrobe stood in the far left corner, both doors torn of their hinges. The floorboards were cracked and deep scratches covered the walls, having peeled down most of the hideous wallpaper. Something that looked like blood stains covered the floor, the walls and part of the ceiling. A broken lamp stood on a lonely bedside table.

Hermione spun around when something behind her moved and she recognised the faint 'pop' caused by Apparition., Instantly she raised her wand but lowered when she realised who the cloaked figure was. Narcissa Malfoy had appeared in the middle of the room and lowered her hood, revealing her blonde hair. In the gloom of Hermione's wand she looked even paler than Hermione remembered. But to Hermione's surprise she wasn't alone. A second figure emerged from the shadows. This one wasn't wearing a cloak. Thick, raven curls streamed down the second woman's face and charcoal eyes seemed to glow in the dark. They had fixed on Hermione.

"You came" Narcissa said. She wasn't hiding her surprise.

"Your message didn't sound like a request" Hermione answered harshly. Her eyes were drawn to the woman at Narcissa's side. Bellatrix Lestrange. Her stomach tightened as her eyes focused on the dark witch. "Why did you want to see me?"

"My sister..." Narcissa began and gestured at Bellatrix.

Bellatrix was now wandering around the room. Her boots echoed off the wooden floor and she circled Hermione, like a predator circled its prey. Every few seconds she came closer until Hermione could smell the odd mixture of erotic perfume and stale breath. She did not dare move but her eyes followed Bellatrix. Her eyes had sunken deeper into her head and her nails were long and dirty. She had shed the Azkaban rags she had seen in the picture and was instead wearing a black dress with leather corset. Bellatrix took in a sharp breath and then turned to Narcissa.

"She is perfect..." Bellatrix hissed and Hermione's eyes snapped back at Narcissa. Her heart had strangely slowed down in her chest.

"Perfect for what?" Hermione demanded to know and watched how Bellatrix turned in her direction. Their gazes locked and in the room the atmosphere changed. The temperature instantly rose and unexpectedly another window snapped in its frame. A rain of glass fell down to the ground. Magic had filled the air.

"My sister... needs a protégé..." Narcissa spoke slowly and began to close the distance between her and Hermione. When she reached her, two fingers slipped under her chin and forced her to look up. She licked her lips and her fingers slipped from Hermione's chin up to her jaw and then down to her neck. They came to a rest against her pulsating vein. "She needs someone..."

Hermione arched an eyebrow and glanced from Narcissa to Bellatrix. The blonde witch's hand dropped and she turned away from Hermione. Bellatrix watched intently. The charcoal eyes of the dark witch flickered with an emotion Hermione couldn't quite describe. But it was intense and it sent a shiver down her spine. Her throat had become dry. "Somehow I was under the impression a witch of her skill wouldn't need someone at her side?"

Narcissa did not answer and instead she turned to her sister. They shared a look Hermione couldn't quite see and then Narcissa put her hood back up. She turned on the spot and Disapparated with a faint 'pop', leaving Hermione alone in the destroyed room with Bellatrix.

"Now it's just you and me..." Bellatrix whispered and she slowly came closer. She held still in front of Hermione and her fingers retraced the path Narcissa had followed down to Hermione's neck. She leant in, allowing herself to smell the faint hint of Hermione's shampoo. Hermione felt Bellatrix's hot breath against her skin. "My sister tells me you're a Mudblood..."

"I do not allow myself to be defined by a word..." Hermione whispered and blinked when Bellatrix's face appeared before hers. The dark witch was only a few inches away from her and Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Bellatrix's long, sharp nail now slowly trailed down the side of her neck to her collar bone and came to a rest against the fabric of her coat.

Unexpectedly Bellatrix turned around and stalked across the room, to the nearest window. In the silver moonlight her pale skin seemed to glow. "The Dark Lord is ready to show himself out in the open...When the time is right we will take down the Ministry..." She slowly turned and her dark eyes fixed on Hermione. "The Dark Lord has instructed me to find... a _companion_, if you wish... One who can assist us once the new dawn breaks..."

Hermione slowly walked towards Bellatrix and when she reached her she was surprised to realise she felt no fear. Bellatrix grabbed her arm and forcefully rolled up her sleeve, revealing the pale flesh of her fore arm. Her long nail drew small circles on Hermione's flesh. The sleeve of her own dress fell back and Hermione saw the Dark Mark on Bellatrix's milky white skin. A soft gasp escaped from her throat.

"You can feel it..." Bellatrix whispered and her face came closer to Hermione's. The young brunette stood near the wall and backed away as the dark witch came closer. Within seconds, Bellatrix had closed the distance between them and her strong arms pinned the younger witch against the blood stained wall. Her breath tickled against Hermione's skin and her lips were perhaps an inch from her ear. They lowered slowly down the side of her neck and then pressed against her pulsating vein. Her teeth sank into the young, exposed flesh.

Hermione groaned and her hands grasped two fist fulls of black curls as Bellatrix's lips moved from her neck down to her collarbone before slowly moving upwards. Hungry, dark eyes pierced into Hermione's and her ruby red lips suddenly crashed down against those of the young brunette. The kiss was fierce, violent and powerful and Bellatrix forced herself a way into Hermione's mouth. She was greeted by a twirling tongue that met her own and she moaned in appreciation when Hermione's hands slipped from her hair to the base of her neck to pull her closer.

When they broke apart both witches were panting and a thin trail of blood trickled down the corner of Hermione's mouth.

"I shall be your companion..." she breathed and her hand grabbed Bellatrix's before it could unzip her coat and reveal what lay underneath. The older witch writhed but Hermione did not immediately set her free. "Under one condition..."

"You are in no position to make conditions..." Bellatrix lisped and managed to free herself from Hermione's grip. Her own fingers closed tightly around Hermione's wrist and the brunette could feel the bruising appearing under Bellatrix's touch. Her heartbeat increased rapidly. "I came to you. You shall do as I say and..."

Hermione smirked but did not attempt to break free. The pain was like an adrenaline kick and the blood rushed through her veins. It was like a drug. "You are desperate, aren't you Bella? What did the Dark Lord do? Did he swear to torture you if you did not convince me to do as you said?" The eyes of the dark witch widened and Hermione knew she had hit the right spot. "How long has he been watching me? And your sister... what did he threaten her with to prepare me for you?"

Bellatrix studied Hermione's face. "It does not matter you have been sorted into Slytherin. You are still a filthy little Mudblood..."

"One you were eager enough to kiss" Hermione reminded her and her lips curled up into a smile. "And there lies my condition, Bella. I shall be your companion for the Dark Lord..." She paused and leant in, her lips now just a few inches away from Bellatrix's. Their gazes locked and the rush of the pain became even stronger. It controlled her. It held her captive. "And I shall be _your_ companion..."

Bellatrix let out a soft, rather low laugh before capturing Hermione's lips with her own. Slim, skilled fingers unzipped her coat and peeled off her jumper. And Hermione gave into the painful passion that was Bellatrix Lestrange and arched her back when sharp nails clawed down her back and arms and splinters penetrated her skin. The cold didn't fell too harsh, not even when her jumper had been removed and her jeans unzipped and pulled down. Knees buckled as Bellatrix's thigh pressed between her legs. Bruises appeared all over Hermione's flesh and blood trickled from bite marks down her neck and collar bones. Bellatrix's fingers were harsh and uncontrollable but Hermione enjoyed the sensation of the pain and adrenaline. Her mind exploded as the raven haired Death Eater brought her to her first climax.

Hermione zipped up her jeans and turned to look at the dark witch as she fixed back her dress and wiped her hands on her sleeves. Hermione's bones hurt and her skin felt warm and hot. There was dried blood in the corner of her mouth.

"When do I see you again?" she asked without sounding desperate. Her voice was hoarse and she carefully pulled down the sleeves of her jumper to cover up the bruises. The adrenaline rush slowly began to wear off but the sensation of pain lingered on. It was a feeling she enjoyed – something that was already so addictive she knew she would need it again and again.

Bellatrix looked up, brushing a dark ringlet out of her eyes and she smirked. "Soon..."

She turned on the spot and left Hermione in the ruined room. The brunette zipped up her coat, realised her scarf was missing and picked up her wand from the floor. She made her way back to the hatch and knelt down to remove it. Her body protested and sharp pains shot through her. Hermione ignored them and lowered herself back into the tunnel. This time she did not use her wand to guide herself. Instead she made her way through the darkness unassisted and climbed out from under the Whomping Willow. She quickly walked away before aiming her wand at the tree and whispering "Finite Incantatem". Instantly, the branches of the tree stirred.

She hurried back across the grounds, snuck back into the castle and waited for Peeves to disappear out of one of the suits of armour in the Entrance Hall before making her way down to the dungeons and back to the common room. It was deserted and the fire had died out in the fireplace. Rrandom pieces of parchment had been cleared up by the house elves and a lonely quill and an abandoned Potions book lay on one of the tables. Hermione crossed the common room and snuck into the girls dormitory. It was dark and quiet and she slowly stripped off. Her body hurt and she smiled to herself a she slipped into her bed.

"Where have you been?" Pansy's voice came out of the dark and Hermione turned in the direction of her friend's bed. She could just about see the outline of Pansy's bed and the figure of her body.

"I just went for a midnight walk, that's all..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Note I: **To all of you have favourited and/or alerted this story without reviewing – here is to chance to do it now! I would really appreciate it. Thank you. *hands over chocolate biscuits*.

**Note II:** Before anyone points it out : Yes, I know Hermione is still under the age of seventeen (she is sixteen) - therefore legally a minor to wizarding law. In the mind of some it could mean that the "relationship" between Bellatrix and Hermione is therefore illegal. But when has Bellatrix ever cared about that? And whenever have I?

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses. It is an idea that possesses the mind  
~Robert Oxton Bolton_

Hermione waited till the dormitory was empty the next morning before she slipped out of bed and got dressed. She turned to one of the floor length mirrors and inspected her reflection. Purple bruises covered most of her body, starting at the side of her neck trailing down her collarbone and the valley between her breasts. They were harsh against her pale skin. Bright red finger marks on her wrists reminded her where Bellatrix had pinned her against the wall and Hermione followed the bite marks on her flesh with her fingertips – reliving the moments of intense pain and pleasure as she did so. Shadows had appeared under her eyes over night. Her sleep had been restless and filled with dreams of which she could only remember fragments.

She ignored the pain from her muscles and bones as she pulled her jumper over her head. She bound her hair back in a neat pony tail before putting on her school robes over her jeans and jumper. She picked up her bag and flinched as the handle cut into her shoulder. The pain was an instant reminder of last night, sparking a sharp feeling near her heart.

She walked into the common room and found Pansy was about to leave for breakfast with Draco and Blaise. She hurried to catch up with them and Pansy looked at her.

"Decided to join us, have you?" she said as she arched an eyebrow.

"Need to eat at some stage, don't I?" Hermione simply answered and the four of them made their way to the Great Hall.

They were some of the last Slytherins to arrive and found four empty seats at the end of the table. Draco and Blaise instantly went for the bowl of sausages and bacon whereas Pansy opted for toast. Hermione's had little interest in food and eyes were instantly drawn to the staff table. Professor Sprout was reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet whilst Professor Trelawney shamelessly looked over her shoulder, dropping some poached egg down her robes. Professor McGonagall was having a quiet conversation with Professor Dumbledore whilst at the end of the table Professor Umbridge was quickly scribbling notes on what seemed to be her by now famous clipboard.

By the time breakfast was over all Hermione had done was push her food around her plate. She wasn't hungry and when she stood up to join Pansy, Draco and Blaise for their first class of the day, Transfiguration, she searched the ceiling of the Great Hall one last time. She had no idea how Bellatrix intended on contacting her but she somehow did not expect Narcissa's owl to deliver her another note. She felt slightly disappointed when nothing happened and reluctantly followed her classmates to the Transfiguration classroom.

Professor McGonagall was waiting for them and Pansy and Hermione took their usual seat in the back of the classroom. The class was a mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins – much to the dislike of both houses. Throughout the years it had seemed Dumbledore had insisted on keeping the two rival Houses together and Professor McGonagall always seemed a little bit tense when she had the Gryffindors and Slytherins in one room. This morning was no different and she spoke in short sentences as she instructed them on what was expected in this lesson.

Hermione managed to transform her matchbox into a parrot and vice versa in only her second attempt, much to the approval of professor McGonagall. It seemed that she had forgotten about her dissaproval of Hermione being sorted into Slytherin. She received twenty points before Professor McGonagall walked over to the desk of Seamus Finnigan. His parrot had spontaneously caught fire, to great hilarity of his fellow Gryffindors. Hermione looked at Pansy who sat beside her. Her matches had feathers. Behind her, Draco's matchbox had not changed at all and Blaise's matchbox has sprouted wings and a beak but looked nothing like the parrot it was supposed to have turned into.

There was a soft tapping sound coming from the back of the classroom and Hermione looked up. Everybody else was too busy working to notice, not to mention the noise of the parrots increased as more students transformed their matchboxes. A large raven sat outside in the window sill, its wing impatiently tapping against the glass. Hermione's heart leapt up and her eyes shot from Professor McGonagall to the bird and back. No one would send a raven. Nobody but Bellatrix. Hermione's hand shot up and Professor McGonagall slowly turned around.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" she questioned in surprise. Her thin eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing in her dark hair.

"Professor, may I go to the toilet, please?" Hermione asked and made sure she phrased her sentence in such a way that it sounded little like a request. She gave her teacher a meaningful look. A look only a woman would understand and Professor McGonagall caught on, assuming the reason Hermione asked to be excused was related to the monthly inconvenience of womanhood. She gave Hermione a brief nod and the brunette stood up from her desk. She grabbed her bag, stored her wand and muttered something that sounded like "I won't be long" to Pansy in passing.

Once outside the classroom she swung her bag over her shoulder, checked the corridors for ghosts or teachers and then turned left instead of right, which was where the girls' lavatories were. She headed down the Grand Staircase and through the Entrance Hall. The oak doors swung open and Hermione left the castle. A weak morning sun peered from behind a cloud. In the distance she could hear the excited voices of a group of second years and she wondered what Hagrid was showing them this time during one of his maniac Care of Magical Creature classes. She made her way past the greenhouses, careful to stay out of sight from Professor Sprout and some seventh year Ravenclaws and eventually reached the part of the castle where she had seen the raven.

The bird was no longer sitting in the window. Instead it sat on a branch in the nearest tree but graciously came flying down and landed on Hermione's outstretched arm. The bird was heavier than she expected and she knelt down in the soft grass. She took the parchment from the raven's paw and it flew off without warning. Her fingers trembled as she unrolled the tiny note.

_Tonight. Same time._

Hermione drew her wand from her sleeve and whispered "Incendio". The parchment caught fire and was reduced to ashes in the palm of her hand. She waited for the next gust of wind and watched how the ashes were blown away, scattered across the grounds. She stood up and started her way back to the castle. She had only just made it back inside when the bell rang and she spun around, knowing that within seconds the castle would be filled with hundreds of students making their way to their next lesson. Doors opened everywhere and the sound of footsteps echoed of all the walls and floors. She hated this particular noise about as much as she hated the voice of Professor Binns during History of Magic.

Hermione had reached the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom before any of her classmates and waited patiently for a group of third years to leave Umbridge's classroom. The witch was once again dressed in one of her hideous pink cardigan and matching hair ribbon and looked up when Hermione walked into her classroom. An eyebrow shot up when she realised Hermione was alone but instead of pointing out she merely held on to her usual way of greeting her students.

"Hem-hem" she squeaked in that by now all familiar and rather irritating way and she organised some of her books and quills on her desk in an almost obsessive manner. "Good morning, Miss Granger"

"Good morning, Professor" Hermione answered politely whilst she slipped into her seat and took out her book. She left her wand in her bag. By now everybody had gotten used to the idea of not using magic whilst in Umbridge's class. She knew that Umbridge was torn about her feelings towards her. She wanted to hate her, naturally, for being a Mudblood. But Umbridge also loved Slytherin and Hermione was her prize student. Hermione merely attempted not to get into Umbridge's bad books but she wasn't as desperate as Draco to prove himself to her.

"Where in Merlin's name did you go?" Pansy whispered when she finally sat down beside her. She looked flushed and Hermione suspected she had run most of the way here. The Transfiguration classroom and the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom were not that far apart but she did not bother asking where her friend had been in the meanwhile. Pansy took out her book, shaking her head. Hermione's thoughts about Pansy's whereabouts were quickly answered because her friend leant in, making sure Umbridge could not hear her. "I went to look for you but you weren't in the toilets..."

"I just didn't fancy seeing another bloody parrot go up in flames..." Hermione said casually and nodded in the direction of Seamus who was still wiping ashes from his robes and smudges from his face. When he saw Hermione stare he looked away. Umbridge seemed ready to start her class and Hermione shot Pansy a look which meant she did not want to say anything else. Everybody knew how Umbridge punished her students, it was Hogwarts' worst kept secret. "We'll talk later..."

The class was boring, as per usual. Once these lessons would have been cause for excitement. These days, it was in shared first place with History of Magic for classes that were hated the moast. After Defence against the Dark Arts it was time for a break and Hermione and Pansy made their way out of the castle. It wasn't particularly warm but Hermione did not fancy staying insde. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head as she thought back at Umbridge making them copy chapter 4 of their books.

"Bloody teachers are really starting to do my head in..." she groaned as they sat down under the nearest tree and Hermione cast a spell that kept their clothes warm and dry whilst seated in the wet grass. They left their bags at their feet and Pansy looked at her friend. Hermione rested her head against the tree. "I wish they would just bugger off and mind their own business. How much do you bet Trelawney is going to predict I will be dead by the end of the week?"

Their Divination teacher had picked up the uncanny habbit of claiming one of them was going to die whenever they sat foot in her classroom. Last week it had been Lavender Brown, who had been extremly upset. Hermione knew it was all because of the Death Eater breakout and the by now accepted theory the Dark Lord had returned. Students whispered about it, though no one dared to speak out loud. The Ministry was still in denial and Umbridge punished anybody who even suggested there was truth to the story. Many students walked around with bandages on their hands.

Pansy was about to answer when her gaze dropped to Hermione's wrist. The sleeve of her friend's robe had fallen backwards, revealing part of her lower arm. The finger marks were even more prominent now. Five red and purple marks were clearly visible against her flesh and Pansy attempted to grab hold of Hermione's arm but the bushy brunette was quicker, pulling away from her.

"It's nothing" she said quickly and pulled down her sleeve. She averted her eyes but Pansy looked suspicious.

"Where did you go last night?" she wanted to know but Hermione shook her head.

"I told you... I went for a midnight walk..." she answered defiantly and pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Some walk. Did you run into the Whomping Willow or something?" Pansy asked but Hermione did not answer. She thought about tonight. She would have to sneak out of the castle again to meet Bellatrix. Her heart raced in excitement at the mere thought of seeing the raven haired Death Eater again. She did not care much for the reasons Bellatrix wanted to see her. She merely cared for what she could do when they were together. How she would _feel. _

~()~

Night time felt like an eternity away but once darkness fell it was as if the hours suddenly moved faster. She had finished her homework, changed into a pair of jeans, black Converses and grey hooded top and lounged in the common room while her classmates did their homework or just enjoyed an evening of leisurely play. Draco and Blaise played another game of Wizard Chess and Blaise seemed to be winning – leaving Draco in even fouler mood than usual.

At around eleven o'clock the common room slowly emptied as the students began to take to their beds. Hermione waited for the last few to leave and then slipped out of the armchair she had been sitting in. Pansy has asked whether she was coming to bed and she had said she wouldn't be long. Instead she hurried for the door, careful not to bump into any furniture as she dimmed the lights from candles and torches with her wand while she walked past.

Stepping out into the cool evening air almost took her breath away and she began to run towards the Whomping Willow. Her heart hammered in her chest and adrenaline rushed through her veins – blurring her mind. It was a cold night and there was rain in the air. The wind pulled at her hair as she hurried through the shadows towards the entrance to the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack. She flicked he r wand, muttering the Freezing Charm and the Whomping Willow's branches instantly stopped stirring. She lowered herself down into the tunnel and did not bother illuminating her path as she made her way through the darkness.

She pushed against the hatch in the floorboards and revealed the entrance to the Shack. She climbed into the room and instantly her eyes snapped in every direction. She was alone. The room looked identical to the night before, apart from now a few candles were burning. The flickering flames created haunting figures on the wall, shadows that seemed to be closing in. Hermione's heart tensed.

Bellatrix had been here.

"I see you found your way back" spoke a voice from the darkness and Hermione spun around.

A black cloud of smoke began to circle around her feet, climbing up along her legs and her stomach before pinning her arms down beside her body. She could feel how something began to close her airways and her eyes widened in surprise and shock when she realised the smoke was Bellatrix. The raven haired woman slowly materialised in front of her, her face mere inches from Hermione's and her slim fingers securely around her throat. A devious smirk lingered on her face and the flames reflected in her charcoal eyes.

Without warning Bellatrix removed her hand and Hermione instantly reached for her throat, taking in a few quick breaths of air. Her lungs eagerly expanded in her chest. Her hazel eyes narrowed. "Of course I came back..."

"You make it sound so easy..." Bellatrix whispered as she stalked across the room. Hermione's eyes did not move away from the other woman's figure. Her dark curls fell almost playfully down the witches shoulders. The rotting floorboards creaked under Bellatrix's boots and she stood still by one of the candles. Wax had dripped onto what once used to be a chest of drawers. A broken mirror hung above it, reflecting the dark features of the woman's face. Her index finger hovered over the flame and Hermione could see how Bellatrix flesh rapidly changed into a raw, painful red. She slowly turned to look at Hermione to find the young brunette's eyes transfixed on the fire. A smile spread across her face.

"You behaved well last night..." It could have been a compliment if Hermione had not known Bellatrix was not the type of person to give out appraisals. She took back her hand, seemingly unaffected by the burns on her fingers, and approached Hermione. The younger witch did not move. Her eyes snapped up to meet Bellatrix's. "You have done me proud, little girl..."

"I doubt you believed me to be little last night..." Hermione sharply said, reminding Bellatrix of exactly what they had done last night. She stepped forward, closing whatever small distance was left between them. Inquisitive hazel eyes searched the Death Eater's face. Even under the madness Bellatrix was still hauntingly beautiful. "You have a need for me..."

"The Dark Lord has a need for you..." Bellatrix corrected her and let her burned index finger trail down the side of Hermione's jaw. When she reached her neck she smiled in approval when she recognised the bruises she had left behind the night before. "He has requested you join him..."

"Me?" Hermione whispered and shivered as Bellatrix's hands slipped down further towards her collar bone. Her breath chocked in the back of her throat and her heartbeat rapidly increased, pounding so loudly she did not doubt the older witch could hear it. She believed Bellatrix could _smell _her excitement. The mere thought of her touch created sickening yet intense feeling in her core. "The Dark Lord has requested me...Whatever for?"

"The world needs to be purified of all those unworthy" Bellatrix whispered. Her lips were close to Hermione's air and the hot breath made the young brunette's knees buckle. Bellatrix's strong, firm hands closed around her upper arms, forcing her to remain upright. A sharp pain shot through Hermione's body, signalling her more bruises would remind her of this in the morning. She felt weak and lifeless in the dark witch's hands.

"The Dark Lord has seen passed the blood in your veins, my pet. He has seen the potential you hold..." Her tongue briefly touched Hermione's earlobe before trailing slowly down her neck. Warm, hungry lips clamped down on the pulsating vein in Hermione's neck and she pushed Hermione backwards. They shuffled across the wooden floor, Bellatrix's still in control, until they reached the chest of drawers with the candles. Hermione's backside collided with the harsh, cold wood and she looked up at the other woman.

"He knows what you can be... He has seen you..." Bellatrix continued. Every sentence was followed by a bite to Hermione's now glowing flesh. Her hands slipped from the younger witch's arms and began to peel off her jumper, followed by her jeans. Dressed in simple black knickers and a bra Hermione stood before Bellatrix, trembling. The look in her eyes could only be described as hungry and filled with lust.

"He knows how you hate what you are... how you despise those who brought you into this world..." Another bite. Bellatrix's teeth sank deeper into Hermione's flesh this time. Hermione's arms slipped around the raven haired woman's back and Bellatrix hoisted her up until Hermione sat on the broken dresser. She was face to face with Bellatrix now.

"Your friends are not worthy of you... When have they ever treated you like you deserve..." Bellatrix reached for one of the candles and held it close to Hermione's face. The heat of the flame instantly scorched her skin, illuminating her face and igniting the lust in her eyes. Slowly, so terribly slowly, Bellatrix turned the candle upside down and hot wax flowed down Hermione's bare skin.

"Ooooh..." Hermione breathed and her eyes fluttered shut under the sudden pain. She arched her back, exposing more of her chest to Bellatrix. The hot wax dripped down her breasts and her stomach. It was instant and burning hot. But as the wax dried the pain faded and only the red marks on her skin would tell what it had felt like. Bellatrix cackled softly as she dripped more and more hot wax down Hermione's bruised skin.

"Imagine..." she continued and her lips once again pressed against Hermione's ear. The swell of her own breasts pressed through the leather of her corset against Hermione's skin. With one firm push she forced Hermione's legs apart with her knee, placing it securely against the younger witch's core. There was a whimper and a moan of pleasure followed by an outcry when Bellatrix's fingers slowly slipped behind Hermione's knickers. Her other hand unhooked the young witch's bra, revealing the still developing breasts. Hot wax poured over her nipples and Hermione threw her head back, pressing her core harder against Bellatrix's hand.

"You can have this... _Always_..."

Hermione unexpectedly sat up and her lips crashed down, capturing the Death Eaters lips with such intensity that she could taste the sweetness of her blood on the tip of her tongue. She grabbed a fistful of dark curls and responded with a smile when she felt and heard the other woman moan into their kiss. Her free hand tucked at the laces holding the leather corset in place. First she was met by resistance as Bellatrix's fought to free herself, unwilling to allow the brunette to touch her. But Hermione's persistence paid off when finally the corset slid down creamy skin, revealing the secrets it hid underneath.

"At your side..." Hermione whispered as she broke away from their kiss. Both witches were panting and Bellatrix's eyes were filled with darkness, lust and surprise. Burgundy drops of blood trickled down her skin. A single dark curl fell before her eyes and Hermione brushed it away in a gesture that could have been tender, were it not for the dark passion they shared. The corner of her mouth twitched. She could not live without this feeling. It had taken her prisoner – she had become addicted to the drug, the poison that was Bellatrix Lestrange. "Not the Dark Lord, Bellatrix. _Your_ side...I know what I can be... For you"

The thing was done. They sealed their fates as their lips found each other. Poison laced with blood would now bind them together. And Bellatrix allowed Hermione's hands to touch her like no other had touched her for a long time. Raven curls rained down porcelain skin when her head tipped to its side, her dark eyes rolling in her head. Beads of sweat glistened on her skin, illuminated in the candle light.

And when Hermione left her side that night yet more bruises and scratches desecrated her skin. She could not bear bringing herself to erasing them. She stood alone in the middle of the room, slowly pulling her jumper over her head. Her muscles and her bones protested under every move. The pain was soothing. The last candle had died out, its smoke still circling up into the air. Bellatrix was gone, having faded into the shadows, and Hermione turned to the broken window above the chest of drawers on which Bellatrix had just claimed her again. Her reflection looked broken and disfigured in the shattered glass.

Yet she felt more whole than she had ever done before.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

_Love that we can not have is the one that lasts the longest,  
hurts the deepest and feels the strongest...__  
~Unknown_

It became harder and harder to focus during the day. Dark shadows surrounded Hermione's eyes and her body protested against even the smallest movements. She was tired as the hours of sleep rapidly decreased with every passing night. Her school bag cut into her flesh, already sore from the bruises and the bites left behind by Bellatrix. She had begun to wear long sleeves, covering up the marks and scars. She barely slept at night, lying awake until her classmates slept before sneaking out of her bed. The night had become her new friend, her ally in her journey on the dark side. Night after night she made her way across the Hogwarts grounds and snuck down into the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack. Bellatrix would be waiting for her. Every night the same devious smile would linger on her lips and her eyes would reflect hunger and lust.

Another morning broke and Hermione let out a disgruntled groan when her feet made contact with the hard wooden floorboards. She rubbed the back of her head, ignoring the thumping headache that instantly appeared. She shielded her eyes against the morning sunshine and frowned. Around her the other girls were getting up and Pansy looked at her whilst making her bed.

"You look dreadful" she commented and Hermione shot her a dark look.

"You look wonderful too"

She stood up and bit down on her lip. Instantly she reached for her side and lifted up her long sleeved shirt just far enough to expose the deep gash that started just under her right breast and reached as far down as her left hipbone. Dried blood stuck to her shirt and scabs had begun to form. It was another reminder of the anger and passion Bellatrix displayed during their nightly encounters. The raven haired Death Eater too was covered in bruises and scratches herself as well, as Hermione had done her fair share of rewarding Bellatrix with pain.

"Where did you get that bruise? That wasn't there yesterday..." Pansy said. She had appeared behind her and Hermione quickly lowered her shirt, covering up the cut on her stomach. Their eyes met in the mirror and Hermione only now realised that a large, purple bruise had appeared on her jaw. She reached up and touched it. The memory of how it had gotten there escaped her and she frowned.

"I haven't got a clue" she spoke without breaking eye contact with Pansy. She shrugged and shook her head. Faked innocence laced her voice. "I keep waking up with bruises these days. There seems to be a new one every day. I wonder whether I sleep walk..."

Pansy didn't answer and Hermione hoped she wouldn't ask any more questions. She waited until she had left before stripping off. Her body was covered in cuts, bruises and bite marks from top to bottom. They were in various stages of healing and Hermione took a few minutes to look at herself in the mirror. Nothing about her body reminded her of herself. She had lost weight in the last few days, she very often did not bother sharing a meal with the others, and she could feel her ribs. It wasn't an unsightly appearance. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. Her jeans and jumpers had begun to fall loosely around her already frail shape. The rings around her eyes were dark and her face seemed gaunt. She was pale and her bottom lip had split two days earlier. It had only just started to heal. Her bushy hair was even more unruly than usual and she used a quick charm to fix it back to its normal size.

Once she was dressed she didn't bother meeting her classmates for breakfast and opted to meet up with Pansy outside the History of Magic classroom instead. She even beat Professor Binns to his own classroom and watched how he floated straight through the door. Even after five years she was still not sure whether Professor Binns actually realised he was dead. No one had ever bothered to ask.

Pansy arrived two minutes before the bell rang and grabbed Hermione's arm. The brunette spun around and shot her a dark glance.

"What?" she hissed through clenched teeth and anger flickered in her hazel brown eyes. She was quick to lose her temper these days and the change in her behaviour had not remained unnoticed to her teachers or her friends. Their classmates made their way into the classroom and the door closed as the last one entered. They now stood out in the hall, alone. Hermione somehow did not expect they would actually make into class. It seemed that Pansy had different plans for this morning and she freed her arm out of her friend's grip. "What are you playing at?"

"You're hiding something, I know it!" Pansy whispered harshly and her eyes pierced into Hermione's. "You might as well stop lying about it! I am not stupid!"

Hermione cocked her head and arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Pack it in, Granger!" Pansy sneered and pointed at Hermione's jaw. The bruise went hidden under a well cast Beauty Charm and Hermione looked normal to anybody who saw her. Only Pansy knew the truth that was covered up by magic. "That bruise has got _nothing_ to do with sleepwalking and we both know it! You'd better start telling me the truth or I will report you to Snape!"

"Like he cares what I'm up to" Hermione said rather arrogantly. She knew Snape in general cared very little about what his students were up to. He only made an effort when Gryffindor was causing them trouble and he seemed to prefer going head to head with McGonagall than talking to his students. He was the ideal Head of House when you were up to no good. "He really couldn't care less!"

"McGonagall then! She's acting Head of Hogwarts, after all! We've got Transfiguration after this..." Pansy's words sounded threatening and Hermione did not doubt she meant it.

Her hand had reached for her wand before Pansy could even blink and she drew it. Immediately she pressed it harshly against Pansy's chest and closed the distance between them until there was a mere few inches left. She was so close she could feel Pansy's breath against her skin. She was panting slightly and her eyes hardened. Her hand trembled and she could feel her friend tense at the other end of her wand. Her own heart hammered in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her veins.

"You wouldn't..." Hermione whispered and twisted her wand in her hand. Pansy flinched under the pressure. Hermione lowered it slowly, following the lines of Pansy's ribcage and eventually the tip pressed into her stomach. "This has _nothing_ to do with you, Parkinson. I suggest you keep your nose out of other people's business or risk getting hurt..."

She stored her wand back in her sleeve and turned on her heels, leaving Pansy in the corridor. She walked away, with her head held high. The adrenaline controlled her, ruled over her heart. Her hazel eyes flickered and a smile appeared on her face

"Where are you going?" Pansy called after her and Hermione turned around. A mysterious smile spread on her face and she let out a soft, deep cackle which echoed off the walls in almost haunting way.

"That's a question only I know the answer too. Just tell Binns I overslept or something..." Hermione answered and continued walking down the corridor. The thought of sitting in a classroom became less appealing every minute and she turned the corner, only to find her path blocked by the one person in the whole world she did not want to see. Professor Minerva McGonagall was walking in Hermione's direction, carrying a pile of papers and looked up when she became aware of a student in the corridor. Green eyes narrowed behind her glasses and Hermione swore under her breath.

"Miss Granger, I was under the impression the fifth year Slytherins were supposed to be in History of Magic at this particular moment?" she questioned. She sounded disapproving and peered at Hermione over the rim of her glasses.

"I realised I left my home work in the dormitory, Professor" Hermione lied and forced herself to make eye contact with the Head of Gryffindor. She never even blinked. The lie fell from her lips a lot easier than she had thought. Lying seemed to be something she never failed at these days. "I thought it was best to go and collect it as I would not want Professor Binns deducting points from Slytherin..."

"Did I perhaps miss the memo that informed us of the relocation of the Slytherin common room?" Professor McGonagall said sharply and Hermione instantly realised she had been caught out. She had been walking in the opposite direction of the dungeons and she sighed.

"Detention, Professor?" she questioned blankly and McGonagall arched an eyebrow.

"I have been hearing worrying stories about your performances in class, Miss Granger. And I dare say that I have seen deterioration on your part in my own classes, but as I am not your Head of House I shall discuss this with Professor Snape. He can deal with you as he sees fit..." McGonagall sounded dismissive and shook her head. She shifted the weight of the papers in her hand and her eyes connected with Hermione's. The young brunette was reluctant to meet her eyes. "I suggest you go back to your class, Miss Granger. I am sure Professor Binns will barely have noticed your absence..."

"Yes, Professor" Hermione answered and turned around. She began walking back into the direction of the History of Magic classroom and opened the door without knocking. Her classmates looked up when she stepped into the room and she could feel Pansy's piercing gaze. Professor Binns never even looked up from his scroll of parchment as his monotone voice continued to read out dates and events. Here and there students were catching up on missed sleep or doing homework for other classes. Hermione found an empty seat beside Pansy and ignored her friend's attempts to get her attention.

She sat through the rest of the lesson without taking out her books or making a single note. She was the first one to pack up and rush out of the classroom. She had no intentions of going to the Transfiguration class. Pansy called out for her but Hermione ignored her. She used the crowded corridors as a quick way out of the castle, pushing her way past people as she went along. Students parted to let her through and some muttered words under their breath. With students moving it was impossible to tell who was going where. She took a deep breath when she stepped outside and left her schoolbag underneath one of the bushes before beginning to run towards the Whomping Willow.

She cast the Freezing Charm from a distance and dived down into the tunnel without a hint of hesitation. She did not even slow down. She could not bear another moment in the castle and the urge to be free, to run away, was growing with every passing day. She felt confined, imprisoned, in a shell from which she could not escape. Her body was tired and her mind had lost its ability to focus due to the lack of sleep. Whenever she did sleep, the dark dreams and nightmares haunted her. Her thoughts made little sense to her and the pain in her body was endless. It worked as a drug but it also wore her out. When she reached the hatch she pushed it aside and climbed into the room, closing the entrance behind her. Instantly her eyes were drawn to the bed. Bellatrix's intense magic had fixed the four poster to its former glory, apart from the curtains.

Hermione threw herself onto the old mattress and a soft moan escaped from the back of her throat. The bed stank of damp and mould, was covered in unidentifiable stains and had seen better days for sure. One of the springs poked into her stomach but she ignored the sharp pain as she curled up into a ball. There was no pillow and the sheets were torn to shreds but her body instantly relaxed. It was as if she could only be herself here, in this broken room. The racing of her heart slowly died down and the panting stopped. Tired eyes became heavier and she could no longer deny the strength of the tiredness she felt. Hazel eyes fell shut and she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~()~

"Becoming weak are we?"

She sat up when the sharp voice woke her from her slumber and Hermione reached for her wand. Her eyes could not immediately indentify her surroundings. To her horror she found her wand was no longer lying beside her and then her eyes were drawn to the shape of Bellatrix standing in front of her. The raven haired Death Eater was rolling Hermione's wand through her fingers as if it were a toy, a teasing smirk lingering on her face.

"Bella..." Hermione breathed and she quickly slipped off the bed Gone was the tiredness she had felt earlier. Instead, she felt very much alive and her hazel eyes searched for Bellatrix's. It had gone dark outside and she had no idea how long she had been asleep. It must have been hours. Too many questions began to pollute her brain. How long had she been here? How long had Bellatrix been here? What else had she been up to?

"I just came to check how my little pet is doing..." Bellatrix whispered and handed Hermione back her wand. A long nail trailed down the side of Hermione's jaw and pressed against the pulsating vein in her neck. She smiled under the feeling of Hermione's heartbeat. "There is something I need you to do for me..." She paused and seems to listen for something Hermione could not see or hear. "You need to come with me tonight"

"Go with you? Go where?" Hermione questioned as she put the wand back up her sleeve. She shivered under Bellatrix's touch and the hungry feeling for the other woman's lips ignited again in the pit of her stomach. She took a step towards her and Bellatrix's fingers closed harshly around her wrist. It had become a game of power and Hermione knew the rules. Her own fingers grasped a tight hold of the older woman's hand until she could feel the muscles swell under her touch. Bellatrix never once blinked.

"The Dark Lord requires your presence for a mission..." Bellatrix whispered and her warm, dangerous lips caught Hermione's. Harsh teeth nibbled on the young brunette's bottom lip and Hermione groaned in pleasure and approval. "And this mission places you at my side..."

There was an unexpected crack and both witches spun around, their wands drawn. The hatch moved and slowly revealed the entrance to the tunnel. Hermione resisted instantly hexing whoever was about to come out and her eyes snapped up to Bellatrix. The other woman had stepped back into the shadows and had almost completely vanished though Hermione could still see the dark glistening of her eyes. Bellatrix was a wanted criminal. If anyone saw her, she would surely be arrested. Hermione's eyes lowered again to the ground and she almost immediately recognised the person who now climbed into the room and rose to their feet.

"_Pansy_..." she hissed and stepped towards her. Anger roared inside of her. Fingers closed around Pansy's throat and the girl desperatly clawed at Hermione's hand in a bid to release her, a smother plea found its way out of her throat and into Hermione's ears. Hermione ignored it and pushed her friend towards the wall until her back made harsh contact with the rough surface. She lifted her up until they were face to face and Pansy's feet were about three inches from the floor. Pansy's dark eyes had widened in shock and horror. Hermione's eyes flickered with anger and hatred and her fingers clamped down on Pansy's throat even harder.

"Stop..." hissed Bellatrix from the shadows and Hermione's fingers froze. Bellatrix stepped out of the shadows and Pansy's face registered the surprise at the sight of the Death Eater. Surprise was quickly replaced by fear when she realised Bellatrix and Hermione were on the same side. Her eyes snapped between Hermione and Bellatrix in disbelief. One of Bellatrix's arms snaked around Hermione's waist and pulled her away from her friend, pressing her against her own chest. The contact slowly made Hermione ease her grip and her fingers slipped from Pansy's throat. Bellatrix's rested her head on Hermione's shoulder and softly purred into her ear. "Pure blood is not to be spilled..."

"What are you doing here?" Hermione demanded, now drawing her wand and placing the tip harshly into Pansy's neck. She showed no hesitation to use it. Her voice lowered to a dangerously low level. Behind her, Bellatrix softly cackled approvingly. "TELL ME!"

Pansy did not answer and Bellatrix's hand closed around Hermione's, slowly lowering her wand. The raven haired woman looked from Pansy to Hermione and a knowing smile spread across her face. "I know you... My sister told me all about you..." She cackled when Pansy's face turned into a mask of anger and horror. Bellatrix's cackle only became louder. "Oh yes, she has told me all about your little secret...Now, tell us what you're doing here and we might just let you leave alive..."

"She has come to see where it is I am going at night" Hermione answered for Pansy, who seemed too shaken to answer. She was reluctant to lower her wand but allowed Bellatrix to place her arm beside her body. She was panting slightly and pressed herself against the raven haired woman's body, longing for closeness. "And now that she knows she wishes she had never bothered..."

"You're a Mudblood, Granger..." Pansy whispered and looked at Bellatrix. Realisation was dawning in her eyes, especially when her gaze fixed on Bellatrix's ruby lips nibbling at the side of Hermione's neck."Surely you must know..."

"She knows" Hermione smirked before Bellatrix could answer and pulled a face. "It's what she likes about me, Pansy. Now I suggest you leave and forget you ever found us here. If I hear even one teacher mention this meeting, I know where to find you. Some of us have no boundaries..."

"We ought not to waste time, my love..." Bellatrix whispered into Hermione's ear and she reached for Hermione's hand. She stood behind her still and Hermione rested her tired, aching body against that of the Death Eater. "There are great things planned for tonight..."

Hermione turned away from Pansy and her hand slipped seamlessly into Bellatrix's. The raven haired woman grasped hold of her and they stood side by side, like a dark union that had just been made. Hermione was as pale as Bellatrix and no longer hid her bruises. She had rolled up her sleeves and the cuts and grazes were clearly visible against her skin. A healing cut along Bellatrix's neck was revealed now that she shook her raven curls back.

"Hermione..." Pansy suddenly said. The emotion in the tone of her voice made the brunette look up and for a brief moment Hermione's attention shifted from Bellatrix to Pansy. Pansy had moved away from the wall, rubbing her throat where Hermione's fingers had tried to strangle her, and took a step in the direction of Hermione and Bellatrix. Her plea could almost be mistaken for desperate."We are friends..."

Hermione pouted and suppressed a moan when Bellatrix's hand began to draw shapes on the small of her back, insisting they had to leave. "Define friendship to me, Parkinson..."

Anger ignited in Pansy's eyes but she had no chance to draw her wand. She knew better than to display aggression in front of Bellatrix. The woman was a convicted murderer. "Always the hypocrite, aren't you? Have you forgotten who came to you the day those Gryffindors gave you grief? Who actually made you see what you could become? I made you a Slytherin, Hermione! And I only became your friend because I damn well knew nobody else wanted to!"

Hermione smirked and nodded at Bellatrix. "Seems you were wrong..."

Bellatrix's grip on Hermione's hand tightened and the world instantly changed into a black blur. Her stomach clenched and it felt as if someone was tearing at her limps from every direction. Surrounded by smoke, they Disapparated, leaving behind the destroyed interior of the Shrieking Shack and a startled looking Pansy Parkinson.

When Hermione opened her eyes she found herself standing in a dark road at the edge of what seemed to be a Muggle estate in some suburb. It was a dark, quiet night. A soft wind rustled the trees but nothing had betrayed their arrival. The moon went hidden behind thick clouds, preventing the silver light from illuminating their faces. Bellatrix stood beside her, now wearing a black cloak. She brushed some of her coarse curls out of her face and her dark eyes instantly took in their surroundings. Hermione only then realised she was wearing a similar cloak and glanced at the Death Eater. She suspected they were not alone and indeed, from the shadows more smoky figures emerged. One by one they circled around them before landing graciously on the tarmac and regaining their shape.

"What is she doing here?" spoke the familiar drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy and both Bellatrix and Hermione turned in his direction.

"The Dark Lord requested her presence..." Bellatrix answered sharply and there seemed to be a dismissive whisper rising from the group. Hermione recognised the faces belonging to the prisoners who had broken out of Azkaban only a few weeks earlier. Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix's husband, and his brother Rabastan were among them. Jealousy invaded Hermione's heart. Bellatrix's eyes were still fixed on Lucius.

"You know your places..." Bellatrix continued her voice harsher this time. Her charcoal eyes rested on every single person present tonight. "Hermione and I will lead tonight. For those of you who do not agree I suggest you leave your concerns with the Dark Lord. I am sure He will be happy to listen to you..." She paused. An eerie, haunting feeling suddenly filled the night. The suspense of something dark and deadly that was about to happen. Bellatrix's voice dropped to a low, almost growling whisper. "Leave no one alive..."

Silent clouds of smoke scattered off in various directions until only Hermione and Bellatrix remained. Hermione did not know what tonight's mission was and she turned to look at the woman who had awakened the feelings inside her heart. The corner of her mouth curled up into a smile.

"Why are we here, Bella?"

"Rumour has it that the Order is protecting several Muggle families in this road..." Bellatrix whispered menacingly. "The Dark Lord has chosen tonight to convey a message...One that shall be laced with death... " Her eyes were not focused on Hermione. Instead, they were fixed on black shadows moving through the night. Somewhere a twig snapped and a fox yelped, followed by the distinct green flash of light and a thud. Someone swore and then silence came.

Hermione's heart hammered in her chest and she took in a sharp breath. Her hand searched for Bellatrix's and they linked effortlessly together. Perfection was a word that could not begin to describe how it felt. "Then, my love, let death be our companion tonight..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

_What is food to one is to others bitter poison.  
~Lucretious_

The blast came out of nowhere. The sound of breaking glass filled the night and Hermione's senses instantly sharpened. Whispers could be heard in the shadows and her eyes darted across the street. She could pick up the distinct smell of smoke but could not see flames. Suddenly the palms of her hands became clam and she looked at Bellatrix, who was still standing beside her.

"Fools" the raven haired woman whispered and she took off in the direction of the explosion. Within seconds she had disappeared into the night. Hermione followed, not quite sure where she was going. She could no longer see Bellatrix. Her heart pounded in her chest and it felt as if her lungs were going to explode. She had drawn her wand and clutched it as if it was her one and only lifeline. Her eyes were still darting around and she saw how behind several windows lights were flicked on and shadows came to live.

"No one was to know we were here!" Bellatrix shrieked when she reached a house at the end of the street. Hermione was right behind her, having focused on the sound of her footsteps. The front door to the property stood wide open. Rabastan emerged from inside the large detached house. There was blood spatter on his face.

"Bloody bitch was awake and heard us come in..." he growled as he filed past his sister-in-law. Behind him Rodolphus appeared and Hermione felt an instant jolt of jealousy near her heart. Rodolphus too was covered in blood and yielded his wand like a sword. Hermione wondered why they had not used a silent Killing Curse to kill the woman inside instead of waking the whole street. She could hear more voices now. People were screaming. More windows shattered and bright flashes of light began to fill the night.

"Look at what you have created!" Bellatrix ran towards her husband and struck him harsh across the cheek. His head jolted to the side and Hermione could hear the chilling sound of a jaw being broken. Bellatrix did not stop. She pointed at the illuminated windows and her charcoal eyes fixed on her husband. There was panic in her voice. "You complete idiot! We mustn't fail! The last time..."

More Death Eaters continued to emerge from the shadows, alerted by those already present, and Bellatrix anxiously glanced at the sky. Hermione understood she feared the arrival of the Aurors almost as much as the arrival of Voldemort. Their mission to create death in complete silence had failed. Her eyes rested on the raven haired woman and in her chest her heart slowly settled down. A strange, unfamiliar sense of calm washed over her.

"What now?" Lucius' drawling voice said. He had broken free from the shadows and marched towards Bellatrix, still waving his wand. He caused a plant in one of the gardens to catch fire. Bright orange quickly began eating away at the wooden fence that surrounded it. Lucius' grey eyes were fixed on Bellatrix. "Bella, we were not to draw attention..."

"Well, since we have it we might as well use it..." Bellatrix said menacingly and Lucius froze in his stride. Hermione knew he had hoped Bellatrix would fail. Instead the witch used the situation to her advantage and had clear intentions of creating even more mayhem. "Your orders are clear. No one is to be left alive. Burn the houses to the ground if you must..."

She then turned to Hermione and her ruby red lips curled up into a little smile. She stretched out her hand and Hermione gladly took it. "And you, my darling, you are with me..."

Black clouds of smoke shot through the night, straight through the houses only to come back again and create another explosion. More windows shattered and glass rained down upon all who were present, Terrified screams mixed with amusing laughter filled the night as the first fires began eating away at the homes that had once been intended for safety. Complete mayhem had broken out and thick black plumes of smoke began to circle up into the sky. Flames began tearing down houses, sometimes leaving those inside trapped. Tormented screams became louder only to die out quickly. Bright flashes of light illuminated the faces of those present here tonight.

Hermione followed Bellatrix down the street until they reached another house. It was completely dark. Bellatrix did not even blink as she flicked her wand. The front door was blown of its hinges and landed in the front garden. She ran inside, laughing, and Hermione followed. Once they stood in the hall they immediately realised they were not alone.

A man in striped pyjamas was half way down the stairs and he froze when he discovered Bellatrix and Hermione. He turned in his tracks and began running back up the stairs, shouting at whoever else was in the house.

"Sara! SARA! They're here..."

His voice was cut off by Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse and he tumbled backwards down the stairs before landing at the dark witch's feet. His body writhed and wrenched as the curse caused him intense pain. Tears began streaming down his face and Hermione stepped from behind Bellatrix. Bellatrix rolled the man over with the tip of her boot so that he was forced to look up to him and she planted her heel firmly into his chest. His body seized and convulsed as she continued to curse him. With every flick of her wand the demonic smile on her face spread and charcoal eyes came to live.

She then glanced at Hermione and gave a jerk with her head. "Upstairs"

Hermione shot past Bellatrix, taking several steps at a time and reached the second floor in seconds. The door the master bedroom was open. A bed side light had been flicked on. Sheets had fallen off the bed but the bed was empty. Hermione stepped into the room and looked around. There was nobody else here. She slowly stepped back onto the landing. The second door led to the bathroom. This room was empty too. It left one last door and Hermione aimed her wand at its lock. With a simple flick it unlocked itself and the door was blown to pieces. Wood splinters entangled themselves into Hermione's hair.

"Please..." a woman's voice begged "Don't do this..."

Hermione's eyes rapidly adapted to the darkness in the room and she could make out the shape of a woman standing not far from the window. Her face was illuminated by the tip of her wand and tears trickled down her cheek. Downstairs, another horrified scream escaped from the man's throat.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted and the woman's wand landed neatly in her outstretched palm. She cocked her head in curiosity, wondering why the woman did not even attempt to hex her. She rolled the wand through her fingers and an immense sense of satisfaction and victory began to invade her chest. A surge of power she had never experienced before. "You didn't use it when you had the chance..."

"Just... please..." the woman named Sara begged and she took a step in Hermione's direction, only to freeze when the young brunette aimed her wand at her chest. The woman's big blue eyes were filled with tears and she reached out a hand towards Hermione as if to touch her. "You're only... a _child..._"

Hermione merely smirked as another scream followed by a muffled cry came from downstairs. Bellatrix's distinct cackle echoed through the house, causing a warm feeling in Hermione's stomach, and suddenly the witch looked at Hermione. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Lestrange..." she whispered.

Hermione's head snapped back in the witch's direction. "You know her?" she asked aggressively.

"Know her?" Sara asked and Hermione detected the hint of pride in her voice. Pride that quickly seemed to fade as the hopelessness of the situation dawned on her. "I was one of the Aurors who arrested her the night she tortured the Longbottoms. I washed Alice Longbottom's blood of her hands and confiscated her wand. I escorted her to Azkaban myself..." There was a pause as a memory found its way to the surface. "She swore she'd get her revenge!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a bright flash of green light and Sara's body lay sprawled out across the floor. Her blue eyes were still wide open but they would never see another dawn. A strand of auburn hair fell across her face and her fingers reached towards the door in a final attempt to be as close to her husband as she could.

Hermione's mouth twitched and she stored Sara's wand in her sleeve and turned on her heels. "I guess she just had her revenge..."

She made her way down the stairs, careful not to trip over the bloodied body of Sara's husband and joined Bellatrix in the hall. The raven haired Death Eater hovered over the man. His body seemed lifeless and blood gushed from his nose and mouth. Only when Hermione came closer could she hear the soft rattling of his chest. Blood came up every time he took in another breath. His eyes reflected fear and Bellatrix made sure it was her face he saw last before he died.

"She's dead" Hermione simply said.

A desperate whimper rose up from the body on the floor, followed by another spray of blood. Bellatrix smiled demonically and her arm snaked around Hermione's waist, pulling her closer. Her fingers slipped up Hermione's back until they reached the base of her neck. Hermione gave an appreciative moan. Bellatrix's charcoal eyes remained fixed on the man on the ground and her wand didn't even tremble.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Her face seemed to glow in the green light as she turned towards Hermione. She briefly kissed the young brunette before turning around and taking off into the night. Her cackle echoed around the house for seconds after she had left.

Hermione stood still, looking down at the lifeless body at her feet. Blood covered the cream coloured walls. Pictures had been shattered and a plant had been thrown across the length of the room. Outside the battle continued but inside only silence lingered. She felt nothing. She was dead inside. Not a shred of remorse. Not a moment of pity, the briefest of hesitation. She stood tall and pride over the bloodied body on the ground. And then, she smiled.

"The Aurors are coming!" Yaxley shouted from outside and Hermione spun around. She couldn't see Bellatrix once she made it outside and she frantically looked around for a sign of the other witch. Black shadows surrounded her, many of them still eagerly destroying the buildings that surrounded them. Flames were eating away at various houses. Many had already collapsed and had been reduced to smoking piles of rubble. Desperate cries rang out. There were no voices left. All were dead. Only the sound of crashing spells and breaking glass seemed everlasting.

Aurors began to materialise around them and Hermione dodged a well aimed Body Bind Curse shot by one of them. Instantly, the attention from the Death Eaters shifted from destroying the buildings to attacking the Aurors and another fierce battle broke out. The night was full of bright flashes of light, lightening up the faces of those who were fighting. Hermione could see Yaxley, Dolohov, Dawlish and Rabastan.

"Bella?" she cried, suddenly feeling deserpate and alone. She had no idea where Bellatrix was.

"This is your fault, you insolent fool!" Bellatrix's sharp voice suddenly cut through the darkness and Hermione spun around. Bellatrix appeared from inside the last house to still be in one piece. Bellatrix's wand was aimed at her husband, who had been duelling an Auror. A quick flick from Bellatrix's wand sent the Auror backwards and instead she focused on her husband. She seemed not to care about the fact that around them the Aurors were closing in.

"If you didn't feel the need to bring a filthy Mudblood along, perhaps some of us would have been able to focus! Rodolphus snapped back at his wife and stepped out of the line of a Cruciatus Curse Bellatrix sent in his direction. He grinned. "Surely you can do better than that, Bella. Or has the little bitch made you weak and pathetic already?"

Bellatrix easily deflected Rodolphus' answer to her Cruciatus Curse by producing a Shield Charm so strong is nearly knocked Hermione off her feet. A fierce fight broke out between the two spouses. Bellatrix's curses were so strong and powerful that around them Aurors were knocked to the floor. It seemed the Death Eaters knew these fights better than any other and many took this chance to take off into the night. One by one black shadows Disapparated.

Hermione watched how Bellatrix fought her own husband. Never before had she felt such strong loathing for somebody and she wished Bellatrix would kill him. She aimed her own wand, only to feel Bellatrix knocking her backwards. It was almost as if the dark witch wanted her to stay out of the line of fire and Hermione's eyes narrowed as she watched the fight unfold. Rodolphus was powerful and strong but he was no match for Bellatrix it seemed.

"Traitor!" Rodolphus shouted at his wife and another round of curses was fired her way. Blood trickled from a cut on his cheek. Blisters had appeared on his hands where Bellatrix's well aimed Confringo had burned his flesh. "We all know _what_ she is, Bellatrix!

"I'd rather be a traitor than a weakling like you!" Bellatrix retorted sharply and used another Shield Charm to avoid her husband's curses. "The Dark Lord never had much time for you. The only reason he did not banish you from the inner circle is that you are my husband!"

"And I regret it every day!"

Rodolphus suddenly aimed his wand in a completely different manner. Before his curses had been intended to severely injure his wife. None of them had been intended to kill. But now everything about his posture changed. All other emotion seemed to leave his face. There was nothing else left but pure anger. Rodolphus' face was lit up by the fires surrounding them and Hermione could see the hatred flicker in his eyes. And she knew. She knew before his lips had even moved.

"AVADA..."

"NO!" Hermione shouted and ran forwards. She didn't even recognise her own voice. Bellatrix seemed momentarily startled, both by her husband's attempt to kill her as well as Hermione's reaction. Drops of blood dripped from her nose, down onto her dress. The young brunette charged past the dark witch, her wand aimed at Rodolphus' chest. His eyes snapped from Bellatrix to Hermione and his hand dropped the instant the words left Hermione's mouth. She felt nothing else but pure anger and it rushed through her veins, to the tip of her fingers and eventually through her wand. "CRUCIO!"

Rodolphus' body collapsed to the ground and involuntarily seized up. A pained cry escaped from his throat and for a brief moment his eyes widened before they shut tightly. Rodolphus convulsed for several seconds before rolling onto his stomach. He began heaving as he slowly managed to crawl onto all fours. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. He wrenched but he had managed to fight off the intense pain and Hermione felt her wand tremble in her hand. He was at her mercy. His own wand had fallen from his hand and lay about a foot away. There was no way he could reach it in time.

"Hermione..." Bellatrix began but Hermione did not listen to her.

"Avada Kedavra!"

And Rodolphus was dead.

"You... you killed him..." Bellatrix had reached Hermione and grabbed her shoulders. She forced the brunette to turn around and charcoal eyes pierced into hazel brown. Hermione's face was expressionless. Her eyes were empty as she looked up at Bellatrix.

Hermione's voice knew no depth, no emotion, as she looked at the raven haired witch. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Bellatrix didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed Hermione's arm and they turned on the spot. They Apparated right back into the middle of the room in the Shrieking Shack and Bellatrix let go of Hermione. The young brunette started across the room and knelt down onto the floor to open the hatch. As she did so, the wand that had belonged to Sara slipped out of her sleeve and rolled towards Bellatrix's feet.

"What's this?" she wanted to know and Hermione glanced over her shoulder.

"Took it from the woman in the house" she simply answered. She had opened the hatch and lowered herself down into the tunnel. Soon it would be dawn and she was expected back in class. Bellatrix rolled the wand through her fingers and Hermione shrugged. "You never know when it might come in use..."

"Wait..." Bellatrix said just before Hermione pulled the hatch back in place and she knelt down onto the floor beside it. She cupped Hermione's check and ran her thumb along the shape of the brunette's lips. "You did well, my darling. Soon everything will be the way it should be..."

"The way it should be?" Hermione questioned but Bellatrix simply leant in and kissed her. A kiss that tasted of smoke, of sweat, of blood and of passion. Hermione leant in, longing for something that would make her feel alive once more. She felt dead inside. The sense of Bellatrix's lips against her own slowly brought her heart back to live.

"You'll understand..." Bellatrix whispered as she pulled away and gave Hermione back the wand she took of Sara. She rose back to her full figure and Hermione's eyes were drawn to the dried blood stains in her lover's dress. She instantly remembered, and relived, how they got there. The corners of her mouth curled up into a smile and she stored the stolen wand back into her sleeve.

"Do you feel anything when you kill somebody, Bella?"

Bellatrix's eyes captured Hermione's and the raven haired woman merely smiled. "Do you?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

_We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.  
~Oscar Wilde_

There was no time for her to go back to sleep. By the time she reached the girls dormitory in the Slytherin common room the sun had begun to rise over the horizon. Instead of slipping under the sheets, Hermione gathered a clean set of clothes, her school robes and her toiletries and rushed off towards the showers. She did not wish for her classmates to see her covered in blood and dirt. She stripped off, carefully folding the clothes she had worn during the night, and stepped into the shower. The water felt warm and comforting against her bruised and battered skin and Hermione tilted her head back, allowing the water to rain down onto her face.

Empty eyes stared back at her, though the faces changed, blurring into another every few seconds. Sara, the witch she had encountered in the upstairs bedroom. Her husband, lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs. Rodolphus, a mere few seconds after she had taken his life. They had all been so still, so frozen, with empty eyes that stared back at her but would never see her. They had all looked like they could get back up any minute. None of them ever would.

When she stepped out the shower, Hermione carefully covered up her bruises by slipping into a pair of black jeans and a burgundy red long sleeved T-shirt. She bound her damp hair into a pony tail and put her school robes on over her clothes. When she left the bathroom she ran into Pansy and a few other girls in the corridor. Pansy froze when she saw Hermione and their eyes met across the distance of the hall. The other girls seemed oblivious and continued on their way but Pansy hesitated. Hermione did not break the eye contact.

"You... you never came back last night..." Pansy eventually said, careful not to touch the subject of Bellatrix directly. Hermione could see the fear flicker in her friends' eyes. "I stayed awake but you never returned"

Hermione shrugged. "What is it to you anyway?"

"_Bellatrix Lestrange_?" Pansy hissed through her teeth and stepped towards Hermione. She grasped her wrist and pulled her friend towards her. Their faces were only a few inches a apart. "Have you got any idea how dangerous that woman is, Hermione? Have you got any idea what she is capable off? Narcissa said..."

"Narcissa wanted us to meet" Hermione interjected and Pansy's expression changed. She pulled herself free from her friends grip. A sharp pain shot through her arm but she did not flinch. Pain had become her new companion; it was like a part of her. "She brought Bellatrix to me..."

Pansy's eyes widened. "Narcissa introduced you?"

"I think there are sides to your precious Narcissa you haven't got a clue about..." Hermione whispered and filed past Pansy. She turned to look over her shoulder. A teasing, almost playful smile lingered on her lips and she met her friend's gaze. "I suggest you don't let slip what you saw last night or things might just become very, very ugly..."

Pansy seemed to hesitate between joining the other Slytherins for a shower or follow Hermione back to the dormitory. In the end, her desire to speak to her friend won and she rushed after Hermione, catching up with her just as Hermione closed to the dormitory door behind her. Pansy locked it with a simple flick of her wand and Hermione spun around. Anger flickered behind her eyes and she stared at Pansy.

"What are you playing at?"

"Me?" Pansy raised her voice and pulled down the collar of the shirt in which she had slept. Bright red finger marks were clearly visible around her throat where Hermione had attempted to strangle her. "I am not the one sneaking out of the castle at night to meet up with a notorious Death Eater, Hermione! What are you doing associating with Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Jealous are we?" Hermione sounded almost haughty and she begun collecting her books for that day and shoved them into her bag. She groaned when she picked up her Transfiguration book. Surely she would be in for a lecture from McGonagall. "Listen; there are reasons why I met up with Bella last night. And I have no intentions of sharing those reasons with you. Sometimes it is best one does not know what happens..." She looked up. Pansy stared at her in shock. "Don't ask questions for which you are not prepared to understand the answer..."

"The bruises and the late nights... You've been seeing her, haven't you? You have been meeting up with her?" Pansy demanded and Hermione irritably sighed. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I have been seeing her. Happy now?"

"But isn't she like married?" Pansy suddenly inquired and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"That didn't stop you from wanting to fuck Narcissa Malfoy, did it?" She paused and instantly the image of Rodolphus lying at her feet flooded back into her mind. Her lips curled up. Pansy was blushing heavily after Hermione's comment about Narcissa and a sense of victory filled Hermione's heart. "Besides, Rodolphus is dead"

"What? I didn't see anything in the Prophet!" Pansy exclaimed and Hermione snorted.

"You will" She had finished gathering her books and swung her bag over her shoulder. She shot a glance out of the window. The sun was fully up now and fine mist pressed against the dormitory window. In the distance she could hear a bird sing. It seemed strange that the world somehow seemed to keep on turning even though last night so many things had come to an end. Hazel eyes narrowed as they connected with Pansy's. "The Dark Lord is rising, Pansy. Soon we will all be expected to make our choices and express our loyalties..."

"_The Dark Lord_?" Pansy whispered in disbelief and she stared at Hermione as the brunette made her way across the room towards the door. The tension in the room was mounting. Hermione reached for the door handle, muttering a soft incantation. The lock jumped open. Pansy took a sharp breath in. "You are working for him?"

Hermione didn't answer and stepped out of the dormitory. Pansy's voice called her back.

"Where did you go last night?"

She mysteriously smiled. "Read the Prophet, Pansy. I am sure it will be plastered all over the front page..."

~()~

There was a buzz in the Great Hall that morning. More students than normal received the Daily Prophet, most of them sent on by worried parents who were alerting their offspring to what had happened. Somewhere down the Hufflepuff table a girl burst out into tears and was promptly whisked away by Professor Sprout. It didn't take long for the story to reach every other student that the witch murdered during the nightly raid was the girls' aunt. She had only found out by opening the paper that morning as the Ministry had failed in contacting Hogwarts. The Aurors as well as the Minister himself were too busy trying to calm down the frantic panic that had been caused by the attack.

Hermione watched in amusement as around her the students displayed fear and worry. The Hufflepuff's seemed shaken by the news a relative of one of their classmates had been murdered. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors all whispered in small groups and no one ate much of the breakfast on offer. At the Slytherin table the students were too busy guessing, amongst themselves, which of their own relatives were involved in the attack. Draco seemed smug. Hermione knew he knew his father had been there. Lucius Malfoy was always there. Their gazes locked across the table and she gave him an understanding nod. He held her gaze a little longer than normal and when Hermione eventually looked away, she found Pansy staring at her.

"You were there..." her friend whispered as she leant over the table, pushing the paper towards Hermione. There, on the front pages were two pictures of people Hermione had seen throughout the night. Though in the picture Sara and her husband looked very much alive. Sara's picture was an official shot taken by the Ministry, complete in her Auror uniform. She yielded the wand Hermione took from her. She seemed forceful and proud. Nothing like the woman she had watched die at her feet. Her husband was a Muggle, with no magic abilities of his own.

Hermione took the paper and flicked through the pages. The announcement that the body of Rodolphus Lestrange had been recovered had been saved for page three. The Ministry seemed quite taken in with itself. The article even made it sound like he had been killed by Aurors. Hermione's eyes snapped up in fury. How dare the Ministry claim Rodolphus' death as their own doing?

"You were there, weren't you?" Pansy repeated and Hermione finally met her eyes.

"So what if I was?"

Pansy shook her head and stared at Hermione in ultimate horror. She didn't even recognise the girl she looked at. Nothing about Hermione reminded her of the shy, insecure and studious girl she had met on the train five years ago. Hermione had hoped to become a Gryffindor then. Now she was slowly finding her place amongst the Death Eaters. "People died last night! Doesn't that worry you?"

Hermione stared at the wall in front of her. Pansy's words went past her and she stood up long before any of the other students did. She left her porridge untouched and knocked over her goblet of pumpkin juice. It spilled over the paper, drenching the picture of Rodolphus Lestrange. Hermione ignored the various sets of eyes, including those belonging to teachers, as she walked out of the Great Hall with her head held high. Anger rushed through her veins. Anger over the Ministry claiming they had murdered Rodolphus and anger over Pansy not understanding. What she felt inside was pure, unadulterated hatred.

She didn't want to be in this damned castle any longer. Not when there was a world out there in which she could really fit in. There was a place out there for her. She never belonged between these walls. She did well in her classes, or she used to anyways, but listening to teachers instruct them how to use and control their magic while the opportunity to use it all will was right in front of her seemed stupid to say the least. And what point was there in transfiguring one item into another or learning how to look after plants of animals? The world did not evolve around plants, animals or transfigured match boxes.

"Miss Granger..."

Hermione snapped out of her musings and spun around. Behind her stood Professor Snape, dressed in his usual black robes and his greasy hair covering the sides of his face. His black eyes peered along the edge of his hooked nose, intensely searching her face for any hint of discomfort. She met his gaze just as intensely. She had felt the way Bellatrix looked at her, as if to read her mind. Subconsciously she willed her mind empty and folded her arms across her chest in defence.

"Professor McGonagall informed me you did not report for class yesterday morning..." Snape said in his usual tone, his eyes never leaving Hermione's face. She did not even blink. "In fact, it has come to my attention you have missed several of your classes." He paused. "Including mine"

Hermione lifted her chin in the same manner she had seen Bellatrix do. Arrogance radiated from her posture. She sounded collected when she spoke. "I am sorry Professor, but I have recently found myself involved in a rather different curriculum, sir"

Snape's black eyes narrowed. "Would you care to elaborate yourself, Miss Granger?"

"I am afraid I can't" Hermione answered and in the distance a bell rang. Downstairs, in the Great Hall, hundreds of students got up and the sound of footsteps began to fill the castle. Voices rapidly closed in and it would not be long before the first Slytherins and Gryffindors would report for Transfiguration. A sudden jolt of rebellion overwhelmed Hermione and she cocked her head. "If you would excuse me, sir, there is somewhere else I need to be this morning..."

"Miss Granger, under aged students are not allowed to leave the castle whilst unescorted by a teacher. Surely you are aware of the school rules?" Snape sharply reminded her and Hermione couldn't suppress a smirk. It was clear Snape did not appreciate her defiance. She swung her bag over her shoulder and turned on her heels, starting down the hall. Unlike Professor McGonagall, Snape did not attempt to call her back and send her to class. He merely stood in the middle of the corridor, watching her walk away, before turning around and stalking down the hall. His black robes billowed behind him. Hermione just kept walking, ignoring the large group of students approaching the Transfiguration classroom. Pansy was among them and she turned around when she noticed Hermione walking in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Pansy asked when she broke free from the group and caught up with Hermione. She took her by the arm and Hermione's head snapped up. Instantly, Pansy let go.

"Away from here..." Hermione whispered and placed a hand on her friend's arm. "I cannot stay here, Pansy. Things are happening. Things of which you can't even begin to understand how much they mean. Don't try to find me. Narcissa..." She paused when Pansy's eyes lit up. "I am sure she isn't what you think she is. She set Bellatrix on me for a reason. This is so much bigger than you can even begin to imagine. I just know it..." Her voice was laced with excitement and hazel brown eyes flickered with dangerous enthusiasm. "It has always been so much bigger..."

And with those words she left the girl who had been her friend since her first day of Hogwarts and hurried her way down empty corridors, down the Grand Staircase and out of the oak front doors. It was a bright and crisp morning. The thin mist had cleared and in the distance she could hear the laughter of a group of second years on their way to Care of Magical Creatures. She over took a small group of seventh years on their way to Herbology and just kept running. Her bag slipped off her shoulder and landed in the dew covered grass with a thud. She never even stopped to look back or pick it up. There was no need for school books anymore. Theory would not be able to help her from now on. Her heart hammered in her chest, beating louder with every step she took. She could see the Whomping Willow on the top of the small hill and drew her wand. She cast a soft "Immobulus" from a distance and the tree froze.

Hermione lowered herself into the tunnel and made her way to the Shrieking Shack. Finally she felt safe enough to slow down her pace. She knew she could not stay here forever. People would soon go look for her. They would find her bag in the grass and they would search the grounds. Someone would realise the Whomping Willow was frozen and eventually they would find the hidden tunnel. Before the day was out they would find her hide out.

She pushed against the hatch and climbed into the room. She did not bother closing it. Her eyes searched the shadows. She was alone. She had no idea how to contact Bellatrix but she would have to find her eventually. She could not yet Apparate on her own, though she knew how to. The risk of splinching herself was simply too great. The only other place in this world she knew was Malfoy Manor. Narcissa would know where Bellatrix was.

With a desperate sigh, Hermione sat down on the edge of the broken four poster bed and fumbled with her wand, making random birds and flowers appear out of thin air before setting the flowers alight and killing the birds without a shred of remorse. Soon the floor was covered in feathers and dead flowers, piles of ash and the distinct smell of fire. She walked around the room, pacing impatiently. She had nowhere else to go. When she held still by one of the broken windows, she had a perfect view out onto Hogwarts. She had no idea how long she had been here.

Time seemed to pass so slowly and she continued to gaze out at the castle. The sun slowly began to set behind the horizon eventually and she suddenly became aware of the shadows moving across the grounds. The tips of wands were illuminated and it did not take her long to realise it were teachers. She swore under her breath and wondered whether Pansy had finally broken her silence and reported her to Snape. He had been unaware of her actions up till this morning but if Pansy mentioned her relationship with Bellatrix she did not doubt that the teachers were now eager to find her. she had believed herself to be safe her. For hours, no one had bothered to look for her. But now that darkness set in, the teachers were out searching.

One shadow broke free from the others and approached the Whomping Willow. Hermione immediately recognised the tall figure of Albus Dumbledore himself. He seemed to inspect the tree for awhile and then turned into the direction of the Shack on the hill, outside the grounds. And she knew he knew. He had found out her secret. Glowing tips of wands came closer and Hermione's heart jumped up in her chest. Within minutes the teachers would find her here.

She turned away from the window and her eyes snapped around the room. What had once been the door was barricade by an old chest. She drew her wand and cast a well aimed Reducto. The wooden chest blew apart, covering her in splinters. It revealed the door. Hermione hurried across the room, her legs suddenly felt like lead.

"Bombarda!"

The door was blown of its hinges and she stepped out into the cool evening air. Now that the sun was gone, the temperature had dropped. The wind had picked up and pulled at her hair. She turned back to the Shack. It had been her hide out. The Shrieking Shack had been her only safe place in the world. Until now. It had all fallen apart. Nowhere was safe now. If the teachers knew what she had done, where she had been, they would surely send her to Azkaban. And she had vowed to herself she would never end up between those prison walls.

Hermione now stood in the middle of the forest and was left with two options; to run and hide between the trees and hope that the shadows would provide her with enough safety or risk a chance to Apparating without ever having done it before. Her eyes snapped up to the sky. The moon would soon appear and its silver light would most likely betray wherever she was hiding. And she did not doubt the teachers would easily find her even if the moon wasn't on their side.

Her heart hammered in her chest and the palms of her hands became clam. She heard the familiar cracking of floor boards behind her and spun around. She could just about make out the figure emerging from the hatch in the floor and she began to run. The shadows quickly sucked her up, swallowing her up into the rapidly falling darkness.

"Hermione!"

She recognised the voice that belonged to Professor McGonagall.

Hermione did not look over her shoulder. She just kept running. Twigs snapped under her boots, betraying the path she was taking. She yielded her wand but did not dare cast a single spell towards the teachers. She was skilled but she was no match for them. Behind her footsteps were quickly closing in. Whispering voices said things she couldn't quite hear. The wind took the words away. She could see the glowing tips of the teachers' wands as they made their way through the trees and bushes. Hermione didn't know how many there were and apart from Dumbledore and McGonagall, she didn't know who else had come out to look for her. She suspected Snape was one of them though she was unsure whether he would actually stop her if he got the chance.

She wasn't far from Hogsmeade. She could see the lights at the forest edge. Once she was out in the open she had nowhere else left to hide. The houses and shops in Hogsmeade all surrounded a square. There was nowhere else to run. The village would still be busy at this time of night, with many guests only just leaving the Three Broomsticks and the Hogs Head. Each and every one of those visitors were loyal to Dumbledore and would not hesitate to capture her if they were given the chance.

"Hermione, stop!" a voice called. It was again Professor McGonagall and Hermione wondered how the teachers had managed to surpass Dolores Umbridge. Everyone was well aware of how she was attempting to change the school, still denying the return of the Dark Lord. Though this morning's paper clearly stated that Death Eaters had indeed attacked Muggles, though the article had also mentioned Sirius Black being their leader. The article had spoken of retaliation towards Dumbledore. It had made most of the Slytherins laugh, she noticed. But it had made her angry. They were being denied. She was being denied.

Unexpectedly Hermione froze in her tracks and slowly turned around. Several beams of light were cutting their way through the darkness, rapidly approaching her position. She counted five and wondered who else had come out to find her tonight. She was panting and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. She rolled her wand through her fingers, restraining herself from firing a single cure.

"Miss Granger..."

It was Snape. He emerged from the shadows first. His face was illuminated by the tip of his wand. His black eyes fixed on Hermione and his wand aimed at her chest. He was the only one of which Hermione did not doubt he would hex her if given the chance.

"Professor Snape..." Hermione spoke, ignoring the adrenaline rushing through her veins. The same sensation she had felt the night before when she had hovered over the body of Rodolphus Lestrange.

"I must urge you to return to school..." Snape said slowly but Hermione openly laughed.

"Do you think I'm daft, Professor? Surely you do not expect me to return back to the castle? You will have me locked up and deliver me to the Ministry..." she said with a smile. Around her, the other teachers emerged from the darkness. The group of four was led by Albus Dumbledore, closely followed by Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick.

"Miss Granger..." Albus Dumbledore sounded calm and friendly. She had expected no less.

"Not you too, old man..." Hermione answered and Professor McGonagall hissed through her teeth at the disrespectful tone with which Hermione spoke. "By now I trust all of you know what I have done. But how could any of you expect me to return to the castle when there is a world out there in need of changing?"

"Changing? You call murdering Muggle borns _changing?" _Professor McGonagall spat and she aimed her wand a little bit higher at Hermione's chest. Hermione did not show a hint of fear. Instead, she met her Transfiguration teacher's green eyes with a sense of pride. "Miss Granger, when I informed you that you had been accepted to Hogwarts you told me your parents were Muggles. Surely you have not forgotten what you are? What they believe you to be?"

"What one believes is open to suggestion..." Hermione answered calmly and her eyes found those of Albus Dumbledore. "The Ministry does not believe the Dark Lord has returned but he is very much alive. And his power is beyond anything anyone has ever experienced..." A smile began to spread across her face, lighting up her hazel eyes. She remembered Bellatrix. The raven haired Death Eater's devotion to the Dark Lord was inspirational and even though her devotion lay with Bellatrix instead of the Dark Lord, she still sided with him. "I will not allow myself to be captured..."

"You have nowhere else to go..." Dumbledore reminded her of the hopelessness of her situation. "You are alone. Bellatrix has not come to save you tonight. She has left you to fight this battle on your own..." His blue eyes fixed on Hermione's face. "Not even you can Apparate, Hermione. She has taken you with her wherever she went but she has not taught you to escape when the time calls for it..."

"Perhaps because she knows I will do _anything_ it takes..." Hermione answered and clutched her wand a little tighter. From the depths of her mind the image of Malfoy Manor appeared. Snow covered roofs, bare trees. The image became clearer in her mind. So clear that she could see every brick, every wood splinter of its front door and every stain on its windows. Her heart pounded against her ribcage and her eyes slowly closed. The wind began to tug violently at her hair and her feet seemed to lose touch with the ground. Voices rapidly faded and faces distorted.

"The risk is worth taking..."

Her own words trailed off when the intense feeling of Apparition took control and instantly swept her away from the surrounding trees. There was a sharp pain in her arm and a sickening feeling welled up in her stomach. Her head became light and as soon as she felt soil under her feet, she crashed to the floor, landing on her back with a thud. Her eyes slowly opened but the world seemed a blur. The sky was black and rain fell down on her face. Her fingers felt cold and she couldn't move her arm. Burning hot tears trickled down her cheeks and the pain was overwhelming.

She had landed right outside the wooden front doors. Malfoy Manor looked more haunting than ever before. Yellow candle light flickered behind most of its windows. In the distance thunder rumbled dangerously in the sky, Hermione attempted to move but couldn't. Invisible chains kept her bound to the floor. She was panting and every breath she took caused her to flinch. It was as if something heavy was crushing down on her chest. Strands of wet hair stuck to her forehead and she slowly became aware of the wet soil on which she was lying. It was cold and it quickly invaded her bones, leaving her numb.

When she eventually managed to turn her head all she could see was blood gushing from a deep cut on her arm. Her mouth opened but no words came out.

Her eyes fell shut and the world went black.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

_Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.__  
~Lao Tzu_

She woke in a dimly lit room. Her head was thumping as her eyes opened and a displeased groan escaped from her throat whilst the room found its true shape. The first thing she saw was the fire in the fire place. The yellow flames were creating a warm gloom, filling the room with warmth and shadows. She recognised the shape of a large wardrobe, a chest of drawers. Slowly her eyes drifted to the window. It was dark outside. She could just about see a slither of the moon peering from behind grey clouds. She had no idea how long she had been out. As she tried to shift her weight a sharp pain shot through her arm and she flinched.

"That was a deep cut..." spoke a voice from the shadows and Hermione's head whipped around. Nausea overwhelmed her and she muffled another groan. Her arm and shoulder were throbbing and the pain was constant now. Part of her wished she had not woken up.

Narcissa emerged from one of the room's dark corners and approached the bed. Her pale face was illuminated by the orange glow from the fire place. She strode across the room, her body tall and gracious. Intense blue eyes had fixed on Hermione's almost frail looking figure in the large four poster bed. When she reached her, she sat down on the edge and looked at the young brunette.

"What were you thinking, Apparating like that on your own without proper instructions or guidance?" Narcissa's voice reminded Hermione of a mother correcting their child. But it also reminded her of the seriousness of the situation. She had been very much aware of the danger she put herself in. "You could have done far more serious damage to yourself, Hermione"

Hermione reached for the sleeve of the night gown she was wearing and with trembling fingers she rolled back the fabric, revealing the tender flesh underneath. Across the length of her shoulder down to her upper arm red and raw looking scars covered her skin. Her arm was bruised, even more so than before her arrival at the Manor, and swollen. Dried blood stuck to her flesh and she brushed her fingertips along the painful looking scars. A twisted sense of pride invaded her heart and brought out a smile onto her lips. A new sense of energy ignited in hazel brown eyes. The scars felt raw and hard under her fingers. _Battle scars. _

"It was all I felt safe doing" Narcissa said softly as she watched Hermione trace the shape of her wounds. "Had Lucius not come out tonight, Merlin knows how long it would have been before we found you. He brought you in and I tried..." She paused and Hermione only now realised Narcissa's hands were still covered in blood. Her blood. Hazel brown eyes snapped up to meet the other witch's eyes. "You lost a lot of blood, Hermione. This was a serious splinch..."

Hermione sank back into the comfortable pillows of her bed and closed her tired eyes. "I had no choice..." Her voice was weak. A shift in weight told her Narcissa had moved closer to her. She couldn't quite explain but it felt comforting to know someone watched over her. It eased some of the sharp loneliness she had felt the instant she had made her decision to leave Hogwarts. "It was between this and getting arrested..."

"Arrested?" Narcissa echoed.

"Dumbledore and the other teachers. Someone told them about what happened last night. I left the castle because I knew it would only be a matter of time..." Hermione's eyes opened and she took a deep breath. She felt tired and sick. All she wanted was to sleep. Narcissa stared at her, looking puzzled. "I suspect Pansy may have told them about... Bella... They came to look for me at the Shrieking Shack and there was no other way out..."

"Very well..." Narcissa whispered and brushed a strand of brown hair out of Hermione's face. "Bellatrix is far more accomplished at healing than I am. I shall call for her to see you in the morning. For now you must get some rest and sleep. When morning comes we shall talk..." She stood up and slowly walked towards the door. She turned before leaving and caught Hermione cherishing the mean looking scars on her arm. The corner of her mouth twitched. "Do not treasure them too much, my darling. Soon you will have too many to remember..."

~()~

When Hermione opened her eyes again, morning had broken and a weak sunshine fell through the clouds and into the room. The curtains were still open and the beams of light danced across the bedroom floor. The fire had died out and Hermione slowly sat up, ignoring the pain in her arm. Her body felt sore all over. Her muscles had tightened and a throbbing pain once again invaded her head. She rubbed her eyes before slowly revealing the scars on her arm. They looked no different than they had done in the night, only now she could see them better. She sat and admired them when the door opened.

"Foolish girl..."

"Bella!"

And with those words their bodies crashed together in a display of madness and passion that could easily have been mistaken for a fight. Neither of them thought about Hermione's injuries when Bellatrix's strong arms enveloped around the brunette and pulled her closer. Hungry lips crashed together, longing for a taste of poison. Raven curls laced with brown and Bellatrix's fingers eagerly followed the shape of Hermione's scars down her arms before biting down on the brunette's lower lip. Hermione whimpered softly, which only caused Bellatrix to sink her teeth in deeper and draw a sweet taste of blood. Hermione's fingers grabbed hold of unruly black hair and yanked back the Death Eater's head, revealing the soft flesh of her neck. Bellatrix moaned softly when Hermione's lips sank down on the pulsating vein. Hermione could feel Bellatrix's heartbeat against the tip of her tongue.

They were both panting when they broke apart and Bellatrix pulled Hermione's arm towards her to inspect her sister's healing skills. She nodded approvingly, her fingers still cherishing the battle wounds that now desecrated Hermione's flesh. She had too many to count herself. Dark magic left its traces.

"Cissy has done well... Now, my love, The Dark Lord has heard of Rodolphus' death" Bellatrix said in one breath and her charcoal eyes met Hermione's. Lust flickered behind them and a long nail scratched down Hermione's forearm. In the early morning sunlight Bellatrix seemed hauntingly beautiful. "He believes my husband was murdered by the Aurors and I so no reason as to tell him otherwise..."

Hermione smirked. "Fair enough. Did Narcissa tell you about last night's events?"

"Dumbledore is a foolish old man if he believes he can defy you. Or us..." Bellatrix whispered dangerously and leant in. Her lips brushed against Hermione's ear. "He has no idea what you really are. The world belongs to us now, my love..." When she moved back she searched Hermione's face. Hermione briefly thought she detected a slight hint of hesitation in Bellatrix's voice. But it was gone within a second and Bellatrix's voice instantly regained its sense of dark longing. "With the coward that was my husband no longer among us, I am free to engage in another...union..."

One of Hermione's eyebrows shot up and her heart suddenly hammered against her ribcage. "Another union? Bella, what are you..."

"There shall be a meeting tonight. The Dark Lord himself has requested your presence..." Bellatrix whispered and ran two fingers through Hermione's messy hair. Bellatrix's fingers slipped down to Hermione jaw and then her chin, forcing the young brunette to look at her. A little smile began to spread across Bellatrix's face. Ruby red lips pressed down on Hermione's in what had been her most tender kiss so far. "Meet me in the Hall at 7 o'clock tonight. I must leave you for now but I shall wait for you..." She started across the room but turned in the open door. "If you need anything, call for my sister. I have told her to do anything you ask..."

Bellatrix left the room and Hermione remained behind, startled. She sat up in bed, her mind suddenly spinning with what Bellatrix had told her. She slipped out of bed, her feet touching the hard wooden floor and she hurried towards the window. She just caught Bellatrix disappearing through the large metal gates, her black robes billowing behind her and her raven curls dancing around her head. The dark haired Death Eater turned on the spot and Disapparated. Hermione turned away from the window and made her way across the bedroom towards the door. As she stepped onto the landing she looked around. Almost immediately another door opened and Narcissa appeared from a room down the hall.

"You are awake..." she smiled as she hurried across the corridor towards Hermione. Her blue eyes widened when she reached the brunette and slender fingers reached out to the sleeve of Hermione's night gown. It had become drenched with blood and burgundy drops had begun to drip down Hermione's arm down to her fingers. The young brunette had not even noticed and she felt no pain.

Narcissa took Hermione by her other arm and led her to a room across the corridor. Behind it she revealed a large bathroom, complete with sunken in bath tub, golden tabs and a floor to ceiling mirror. The room was lit by a large chandelier with white candles which magically burned but did not drip wax. The flow of blood was growing steadily but Hermione still not flinch. She stared at herself in the large mirror whilst Narcissa drew her wand and began tucking at the night gown.

"You will have to take it off if you wish for me to heal you..." the blonde witch urged. There was fear in her voice. Hermione willingly raised her arms over her head and allowed Narcissa to remove the nightgown. Hermione now stood in front of the mirror in nothing more but her knickers. Her good arm covered her chest whilst her damaged one hung beside her body. A small pool of blood had formed on the floor and Narcissa aimed her wand at Hermione's arm. A soft whisper of spells left the older witch's lips and a sharp yet warming sensation rushed through Hermione as her scars began to heal again. Narcissa circled the brunette, seeing for the first time the damage that had been done to Hermione's body. Bruises, scratches, bites and swelling covered her body from her collar bones down to her legs. All were the result of her encounters with Bellatrix.

Hermione seemed paralyzed. She never once moved or flinched as Narcissa managed to stop the bleeding and once again healed her skin. She was transfixed on her own reflection, looking at herself as if she saw a ghost. Hazel brown eyes were empty and hollow. She had lost more weight. The swells of her developing breasts were still visible under her arms but her ribs had begun to protrude. The scars on her arm were even thicker this time and looked even more painful. More bruises had appeared on her arm and Narcissa flicked her wand. The small pool of blood on the floor disappeared. With another flick, the taps began pouring hot water and the bath filled itself with flower scented bubbles.

Narcissa place a hand on the small of Hermione's back and slowly pushed her towards the tub. As she stepped back, Hermione turned around. Narcissa's gaze instantly dropped to the floor, almost as if she was too embarrassed to look at the young brunette. Hermione was no longer covering her breasts and sighed. She looked tired and the dark shadows under her eyes had become even more pronounced. "Your sister mentioned a union..."

"The meeting will explain everything" Narcissa whispered and turned her back. "I shall see to it there are clean clothes in your room when you have finished. Feel free to wander around the Manor. If you need anything and you cannot find me, call for one of the elves." With those words Narcissa left the bathroom and left Hermione to strip down from her knickers. She stepped in the pool and emerged herself in the bubbles. The water was lovely and warm and instantly began to relax her painfully tired muscles.

She stayed in the bath for over an hour and when Hermione returned to her room, she found a clean dress lying on her neatly made bed. She carefully slipped into it, tightening the lace of the corset behind her back. When she turned to the mirror she needed a few seconds to recognise herself. The corset of the dress was made out of black leather and resembled the corsets Bellatrix wore. The skirt was made out of white satin and had two layers. The satin felt cool and soft against her flesh whereas the corset was harsh and restrictive, though she enjoyed the pressure it created. The two separate parts and colours gave the dress an almost medieval appearance and Hermione stared at herself for several moments, taking in the new reflection. The sleeves were long, covering up the scars and bruises on her arms and flared out at the end. She used her wand to magically pin up her hair and a few damp curls fell down the sides of her face and neck. A pair of boots stood beside the bed and she put them on before leaving the bedroom. She descended down the stairs and walked from the high ceilinged entrance hall towards the dining room. Only now did she realise how hungry she was. She had not eaten for a full day.

The table in the dining room was set for one and Hermione slipped down into one of the seats. The trays magically filled themselves with a variety of food and she allowed herself to nibble on some roast potatoes, vegetables and roast ham. When she picked up her silver goblet she realised it was not filled with pumpkin juice but sweet tasting mead. The alcohol felt soothing and comforting down her throat. Once she was finished she left the dining room. The food magically vanished, followed by the plates and cutlery. Hermione never even noticed. She made her way down the corridor and found the entrance to the library. The two longest walls were covered by bookcases reaching from floor to ceiling. Every shelf was cramped by books. A large marble fireplace was the centre of the room, surrounded by leather arm chairs. Heavy black drapes covered the windows.

"You look well"

Narcissa's voice made Hermione turn around. The blonde witch sat in one of the arm chairs by the fireplace and put down the book she had been reading. A smile lingered on her lips as she stood up and approached Hermione. Blue eyes met hazel brown. "Bella would be proud..."

"Would she?" Hermione questioned and turned away from Narcissa. She walked towards one of the large windows and gazed out over the Manor gardens. She could see the immense fountain and watched how the water flowed down.

"You doubt her?" Narcissa asked as she reached Hermione and took a stand beside her, also looking out over the gardens.

"I cannot help but wonder what is truly going on..." Hermione said without looking up. Her mind had been clear when she lay in the warm water and questions she had previously ignored had reached the surface. "One day you tell me your sister wants to meet me. A protégé of sorts. And the Dark Lord accepts me, even though he is quite aware of my blood status..." The mention of her heritage caused Hermione to swallow. Anger instantly roared in the pit of her stomach and she clenched her fists. She hated her background. She hated what she was. She was merely interested in what she could become. Suddenly her eyes snapped up to meet Narcissa's. "Who accepts a Mudblood?"

Narcissa took a deep breath but nothing in her blue eyes betrayed anything. "Surely by now you must have realised that nothing is what is seems..."

"That is exactly what I was thinking..." Hermione interjected and shook her head. She couldn't quite comprehend how her world had changed. She had not spoken to or seen her parents since she left them after New Years. She had burned the letters they had sent and never once replied. She had fallen out with Pansy. The one person she had dared to trust in this world had betrayed her. Friendship had been a lie. All there was left now was Bellatrix. But she couldn't understand what it was they wanted with her. "Bellatrix took me out to fight. I watched people die at my feet. She knew I would stand at her side. It is her I have pledged loyalty to. Rodolphus is dead..."

"An unfortunate side effect, if I may say so..." Narcissa shrugged and glanced out of the window again. The cold January wind ripped through the trees and picked up the leaves that littered the paths in the gardens only to throw them down a few feet further down. It was bitter cold outside, the sky was grey and mist pressed against the glass for most days. The snow had cleared, only to be replaced by rain. The sun was weak and peered from behind thick grey clouds every so often.

"I killed him"

Narcissa turned to Hermione and her mouth dropped. Her ocean blue eyes widened and she stared at the young brunette. She gasped. "Bella said the Aurors..."

Hermione smirked at Narcissa's shock. "Yeah well, we decided to lie. It seemed for the best. But since you seem to know everything else that is going on I might as well tell you the truth..." She paused, never breaking the eye contact and Narcissa seemed to become slightly restless. Hermione's hazel eyes flickered intently and the dark rings around her eyes had begun to fade. "Unless I have once again misplaced my trust in someone..."

Narcissa shook her head. "You have not..."

"Very well" Hermione answered and she trailed her fingers down the cold glass of the library window. A smile appeared on her face. She just briefly looked back to meet Narcissa's eyes. "Like you said, nothing is what it seems..."

"Miss Granger... Hermione..." Narcissa's voice was laced with hints of insecurity "You must believe me when I say you will understand tonight. Your questions shall be answered. The Dark Lord will gratefully provide you with your much needed answers. And my sister..."

"Wishes to marry me..." Hermione finished Narcissa's sentence and the blonde witched seemed unsurprised. The lack of shock told Hermione that Bellatrix's plans were widely known. Rodolphus had not even been dead for two days and already had Bellatrix attempted to fill the void left behind by her husband's death. But why would a Death Eater wish to engage in a magical marriage to a Mudblood?

Narcissa did not answer and instead turned around and strode gracefully across the room towards the door. She turned in the door and caught Hermione looking at her, her hands still resting against the cold glass. Hazel brown eyes were riddled with devotion and confusion. A combination that was more dangerous and lethal than any other. Narcissa's lips curled up and she gave Hermione what could be seen as a comforting smile.

"Tonight, my darling. Tonight..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

_We all wear masks and the time comes when we cannot remove them  
without removing our own skin.  
~André Berthiaume_

Once darkness fell, Hermione found herself staring out of her bedroom window. Her image reflected in the dark glass. She stared at the stars that appeared against the velvet black backdrop. She glared up to the fool moon as it appeared from behind the clouds and the mist. She watched how shadows emerged from the night, making their way along the gravel path towards the front door of the Manor. She listened how downstairs the first footsteps began to echo off the walls, the sound of chairs scraping across the wooden floor as people found their seats. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she glanced down at her wand, resting in the window sill. For the past fifteen minutes she had contemplated whether to take it downstairs once she was called, or whether to leave it here.

The large clock in the hall struck seven and she turned on her heels. In the final second she grasped her wand and stored it up her sleeve. She left her room and descended down the stairs. The hall was lit by candle light and she found Bellatrix waiting at the bottom step. Her raven curls fell almost playfully down her shoulders and she seemed to glow in the weak candle light. Charcoal eyes met Hermione's and a smile spread across ruby lips.

When Hermione reached the bottom step, Bellatrix took her hand and placed her lips against her ear. "The Dark Lord wishes to see you, my love..." Soft fingers brushed against Hermione's neck down to her collarbone and came to a rest against the swell of her breasts under her corset. Hermione took a sharp breath in when Bellatrix cupped her breast. "Tonight, all your answers will be found. And I promise you are to be mine forever..."

"Lead the way..." Hermione whispered softly when Bellatrix pulled back and together, their hands linked, they walked down the candle lit corridor towards the drawing room. The wooden doors magically swung open and revealed the long table in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs. Every chair in the room was taken, apart from the two directly beside the main chair at the head of the table. Hermione held her head high and pride rushed through her veins as she entered the room at Bellatrix's side. She instantly recognised the faces of most of those present here tonight. Her hazel eyes were slowly drawn to the throne like seat at the head of the table.

The Dark Lord sat tall and proud. His skin was pale, almost see through, and it seemed to glow in the orange gloom from the fire place. The giant snake he called his pet had found a place to rest at the back of his chair and the Dark Lord's slim, bony fingers were stroking Nagini's head calmly. Now that the doors opened, his head whipped around. His snake like features were illuminated by the dim light and his thin, red eyes instantly began to glow. The tip of his tongue crept from inside his mouth as he spoke. His voice was high pitched and unnatural.

"Miss Granger..." His red eyes fixed on Hermione. His face was emotionless and Nagini seemed annoyed the tender stroking had been stopped as she gave a loud hiss from the back of his chair. The Dark Lord ignored her. Instead, he searched Hermione's face and inspected her as if she was an interesting new specimen he had never seen before. "I have heard much about you..."

"Thank you, My Lord" Hermione answered respectfully and held still when Bellatrix stopped walking. The raven haired Death Eater sought approval to take her seat at the Dark Lord's side and he gave her a quick nod. Bellatrix made her way around the table and slipped in the seat nearest to the Dark Lord. It only left the chair to the left of that vacant. Hermione's eyes had not moved from his face. She stood rigid and tall, without a single hint of fear in her posture. "I am honoured to be accepted in your presence tonight, My Lord..."

"And so you must be. They tell me, your blood is full of mud. Is that true?" The Dark Lord questioned and Hermione felt a jolt of anger in the pit of her stomach at the mention of her heritage. She hated what she was. She hated what others believed she was. She was to prove them wrong. And she would prove them all wrong. It seemed the Dark Lord insisted on increasing her humiliation. Around the table a few of the Death Eaters laughed. "Your parents are Muggles, are they not?"

"They are, My Lord. But they are no family of mine. I do not consider them my parents and I haven't done so for several years. I do not share the opinions Muggles are equal to wizards, My Lord. I believe I was born into a Muggle family to show them there is a superior race..." Hermione spoke through clenched teeth. She shot a dark look across the table and instantly, Yaxley fell silent. He had been laughing at her embarrassment a few seconds ago but the reminder of what she had done the last time they engaged in battle still lay fresh in his mind. No doubt he suspected she had murdered Rodolphus. The silence around the table did not remain unnoticed and the Dark Lord looked around before fixing his gaze on Hermione again.

"You hold a lot of power for a Mudblood, Miss Granger. You have managed to silence even my most loyal followers with a mere look. And I dare mention you have displayed a fair amount of... _hatred_" There was an approving sound coming from across the table. Bellatrix was leaning in, her charcoal eyes also resting on Hermione. The Dark Lord glanced at the raven haired Death Eater for a moment. Instantly, Bellatrix sat up. "Bellatrix, please repeat the request you made to me earlier..."

"I wish to marry Miss Granger, My Lord..." Bellatrix spoke loudly, her eyes piercing into Hermione's. A deafening silence followed her words. A bit further down the table, Narcissa's blue eyes also rested on Hermione. Bellatrix straightened her back. "Since my husband's unfortunate demise, I am off the opinion a strength like hers ought not to be wasted, My Lord. She holds potential. We all know what she can become. What she _is_..."

Hermione frowned. Bellatrix's words were intense. Bellatrix's desire to marry her was genuine, Hermione could see it lingering in her charcoal eyes. But it was not that part of her words that had captivated her. It was the second part, describing what she could become or what she already was, that had intrigued her and she took a deep breath in. Instantly the other occupants in the room seemed to remember she was still there and all sets of eyes fixed on hers once again. Bellatrix's included, though they were the only ones expression a twisted sense of devotion.

"Ah yes, of course" the Dark Lord spoke and around the table people suddenly regained some of their interest. Hermione saw Lucius Malfoy glance at Voldemort before dropping his gaze to the table. His whole body posture screamed 'coward'. The Dark Lord chose to ignore him. "Miss Granger is mostly unaware of the true nature of her presence here tonight...If she wishes to marry Bellatrix, she must know the truth..."

"My Lord..." Hermione cleared her throat and swallowed down the uncomfortable lump that had nestled there. Her heart had slowed down in her chest and she cocked her head. "Forgive me, My Lord, but may I have the liberty to speak?" When she received a curt nod she took a deep breath. Her hazel eyes fixed on Bellatrix. "I will gratefully accept the hand of Bellatrix Black in marriage, My Lord, if it pleases you. But I must, unfortunately, confess as to some confusion over my situation..."

"Your confusion is not misplaced, Miss Granger" the Dark Lord answered and he made a brief hand gesture towards the table. Her invitation to join them had been given and Hermione began to make her way towards Bellatrix and eventually slipped down into the vacant seat. "And I shall oblige to your request to marry Bellatrix and serve as your Bonder, of course. For now however, I must ask of you to listen and to listen carefully..."

Silence filled the drawing room and around her, Hermione watched how the other Death Eaters suddenly sat up. Lucius had taken his eyes off the table and fixed them on their Master. Anticipation could be felt, it pulsated in their midst. Hermione's eyes eventually glanced at Bellatrix and the raven haired woman who had become her lover met her gaze. A smile spread across Bellatrix's face and Hermione allowed her hand to slip into hers under the table. A touch so simple, so kind, knew far more depth than anyone could ever imagine. She had never dared to think she would be here tonight. To sit at the same table as the Dark Lord himself, to face him and to be at his side. Only this moment truly could erase the disgusting past she had once known. Life had started over. She would be reborn after tonight.

"My friends" the Dark Lord spoke and looked around the table. "It is with great pleasure I welcome back into our circle the final heir to the Drakos estate..." There was a sharp intake of breath and soft whisper began to rise from those seated around the table. "The daughter of Kharon and Malinda has returned..."

Hermione looked up to the Dark Lord. Confusion riddled her face and one question after the other began to reach the surface. Suddenly her mouth became dry and she pulled her hand free from Bellatrix's and placed both hands on the smooth surface of the wooden table. Nagini began swirling down the arm rest of the Dark Lord's chair and made her way onto the table, coming to a rest beside Hermione's hand. There, she curled up and the immense snake seemed to suddenly guard her.

"My Lord?"

"You, my child, are not the seed of Muggles. You are the only true heir to two of the most powerful wizarding families that has ever been alive..." The Dark Lord said slowly and around the table several sets of eyes snapped in Hermione's direction. Someone whispered that they could see the resemblance now. Hermione remained silent and stared up at the wizard who would soon conquer the world. "The blood in your veins is not tainted with mud, my child. It is perhaps purer than that of most of those present here tonight..."

"There must be a mistake, My Lord..." Hermione whispered. Beside her, Bellatrix shook her head but Hermione ignored her. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. Her blood felt as if was going to boil and a sharp, instant headache caused her to rub her eyes. There was a sharp, horrid pain in her chest – as if something had been broken into. A cold feeling began to spread from her heart into her body, leaving her to shiver as her fingers briefly went numb.

"Kharon Drakos and Malinda Macaula were the last heirs to two powerful wizarding families. Their union brought together two intense souls, darker than the darkest night. The remainder of their families had been destroyed by feuds over power and land, or simply by insanity. Knowing that their destiny pended on the birth of an heir, they had one child. A child, or so the prophecy claims, would be destined to carry on and bring forth the darkness they once brought upon any who opposed them..." the Dark Lord spoke slowly, emphasising every word. With every sentence that fell from his lips, the intense pain in Hermione's chest grew, as if something was strangling her heart. "Their deaths were caused by the Ministry a mere seven nights after the child was born. A child named Eris. Legend has it that Eris was the goddess of discord and destruction..."

"This can't be..." Hermione whispered, now desperatly clutching at her chest as the pain spread down into her stomach and into her legs. Her voice sounded constricted. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Impossible..."

"The Ministry had heard of the child, and of the Prophecy of what she was to become. They tried to find her but when they reached the Drakos estate, they found an empty crib. The child was missing and they have never been able to locate her since. Eris was placed with Muggle parents, safe from the claws of the Ministry; until the day broke she would return to Hogwarts. Her arrival would not remain unnoticed. A Muggleborn sorted into Slytherin would certainly draw attention. A wait began and five years ago, the day arrived when she walked through the Great Hall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A studious Muggleborn, or so it was believed, heard the Sorting Hat cry Slytherin..."

"My parents..." Hermione whispered as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. The people she had loathed for the past five years, whom she had resented, were not her parents. The revelation instantly numbed her heart, slowly erasing the pain that had begun to spread. The thumping headache began to subside and a sudden outburst of strength came to live in the pit of her stomach, rushing through her veins and straight into her heart. One final sharp jolt of pain, followed by the pure sensation of something being torn apart, followed and she fell back into her chair, colliding harshly with the wooden back rest. She convulsed for a few seconds as if she had been hit by the Cruciatus curse before her limbs went numb and her eyes fluttered shut. A soft groan escaped from her throat and her body eventually slipped out of the seat and slumped down onto the floor.

~()~

The room was cold when she opened her eyes. The bed was hers and yet it felt unfamiliar. She was not lying under the sheets but on top of them, fully dressed. The fire was no longer burning and it was still dark outside. Heavy rain hammered against the dark glass and thunder rumbled dangerously in the sky. A loud crash was followed by blinding lightning, briefly allowing the room to bathe in yellow light. It was in that instant that she saw her, standing by the wall, with her hands covering her face. The raven curls fell down her shoulders, hiding the features she had grown to love so much.

"Bella?" she asked and she could hear her footsteps come nearer through the darkness until she appeared at the side of the bed. She could make out the features of her face and even in the darkness her charcoal eyes still glistened. Her head felt strangely light and she pushed herself up into a seated position. An unexpected rush of energy and power overwhelmed her. "What happened?"

"The seal broke" Bellatrix answered, sounding rather hoarse. Hermione briefly wondered if she had been crying but in the shadows she could not see the tracks of tears. Bellatrix did not touch her. Hermione wished she would but the raven haired woman did not reach out her hand. "It released the true identity within you. You are Eris, Hermione..."

Hermione shook her head. "My parents are John and Karen Granger..." she repeated the words she had been taught since she was a child. But as they fell from her lips she detected her own doubt and her hazel eyes snapped up to meet Bellatrix. "They are..."

"They're not, my love..." Bellatrix whispered and the sharpness returned in her voice. "They merely believed they were..."

"The Dark Lord left me to be raised by Muggles?" Hermione condemned his actions unexpectedly harsh and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She felt energetic. She landed comfortably on the floor and started across the room, towards the window. Another bright flash of lightning lit up her face. Behind her, Bellatrix gasped and Hermione turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"You must see for yourself..." Bellatrix answered and pointed at the dark glass. Hermione stepped nearer to the window and watched suspiciously as the reflection appeared. A reflection she had never seen before. One with thick, brown curls that fell down the sides of her face and the base of her neck. Intense eyes stared back at her and it was as if the features of her face had changed. Her cheek bones seemed higher, her lips darker and the shape of her body was different. She reached out to touch the image of the girl that had appeared. Drops of rain spoiled her reflection and she touched the face that was her own and yet so unfamiliar. She turned to look at Bellatrix, who still stood beside the bed.

"Why can you not face me?" Hermione asked softly and made her way back towards the woman who had become so much more than a lover or a nemesis. "Don't you remember who I am, Bella?"

Bellatrix's hand shot out and slapped Hermione harshly across the cheek. The pain was instant and Hermione's head jolted backwards. She instantly recovered and turned towards the raven haired woman. Anger flickered deeply beyond hazel eyes and she hesitated before reaching her own hand. Bellatrix was quicker and caught it in midair, bringing it close to her lips before biting down on the inside of Hermione's wrist. The younger brunette squirmed when Bellatrix's teeth sank down into her flesh and moaned when she could feel the drops of warm blood begin to flow down her arm.

"You still need the pain to feel..." Bellatrix whispered when she pulled away and grasped Hermione's hair, yanking her towards her before closing her lips around Hermione's and kissing her ferociously. Hermione's eager arms enveloped around Bellatrix's tall frame and pulled her closer. She needed to feel every inch of her. "You still need to feel me..."

"I will always need you. I feel nothing without you" Hermione breathed when Bellatrix released her lips. She took the older woman's hand into her own and allowed their eyes to meet. The immense loyalty she felt was more powerful than anything she had felt before. "Let me be your wife..."

"You must learn the full truth, my love" Bellatrix said slowly. "The Dark Lord modified the Muggles' memories and they believed you were their own. They have never known anything different. However, now that you have learned your true identity, he will have to erase you from their minds. You can no longer exist in both worlds. You were _born _to be with us, with me, my love. The prophecy told us how one soul would be born, destined to carry on what had been destroyed...Hermione, Eris... "

"And no one knew..." Hermione whispered and her eyes were drawn to the rainy glass. "No one recognised me..."

"That old fool Dumbledore was too busy fussing over that other prophecy child" Bellatrix said contemptuously and ran her fingers down Hermione's jaw. The brunette shivered under her touch and turned her body longingly towards Bellatrix. The raven haired woman smiled. "_Harry Potter_. Oh how great his Golden Boy has turned out to be. How he is supposedly born to defeat the Dark Lord. But dear old Albus forgot about the one who can change the world..."

Hermione leant in and her lips crashed down upon Bellatrix's lips. The tip of her tongue traced the outline of Bellatrix's lips and cupped the side of her cheek. Her nails dug into the flesh of her cheek. The dark haired woman flinched under the sharp pain. Hermione's teeth nibbled on Bellatrix's lips and Bellatrix's arms enveloped around her, pulling her closer until their bodies crashed together. Eager, desperate fingers began unlacing the leather corset.

"The truth is mine now, my love. Now please let me be yours..."

* * *

**A/N: **If anyone sees the resemblance between Hermione and some boy with a lightning scar... yes, that was exactly what I attempted to create. Almost like a second Chosen One. Harry was born to fight for the good. With this twist of tale I have decided Hermione was born for the opposite. A child born into such a dark wizarding family she would be destined to join the Dark Lord. Her marriage to Bellatrix puts her in the perfect position to fulfil the prophecy made about her


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

_ The frontier between hell and heaven is only the difference between two ways of looking at things.  
~George Bernard Shaw_

It was the Dark Lord himself who stood before them, his wand drawn and its tip rested on their linked fingers. The room was empty and a cold draft tickled the back of her neck. He had ordered everybody to leave. Even Narcissa had not been permitted to watch her sister wed the Drakos heir. Behind the horizon the sun began to rise, painting the sky in shades of blood red and golden yellow. The rain from the previous night had stopped, revealing a still grey and dark looking world. Not even a sunset could change what was upon them.

"With this union I create a bond that can only be broken by death..." spoke the Dark Lord and his fiery red eyes rested on Hermione before briefly glancing at Bellatrix. Almost instantly he looked back at Hermione and she could not help but think that the words could almost have been romantic, in a twisted way, had they not fallen from his murderous tongue. "A magical promise that knows no end. For there shall never be another that stands beside you this way..."

From the tip of his wand, two golden rings were created. Two small circles of fire which slowly died and revealed identical bands that slipped effortlessly around their fingers, the metal still glowing hot against their skin. Hermione could smell burnt flesh. The wedding rings had burned them, leaving behind a scar that would reveal their bond if ever the ring was to be removed. She had seen the scar on Bellatrix's finger the night she took off the ring that had bound her to Rodolphus. She had carelessly tossed it in the fire.

The Dark Lord turned around, his black robes rustling as he did so, and stalked across the room. The instant cold grew in his absence and Hermione turned to look at Bellatrix. She was not sure what she had expected but their union was over. She was now married to Bellatrix Black and her dark lips curled up into a smile when she cupped her new wife's face, trailing the shape of her jaw and down to her top lip.

"Let death be our only enemy..."she whispered before leaning in, capturing Bellatrix's lips with her own and allowing herself to drown in a kiss that knew the most tenderness she had experienced since crossing the raven haired Death Eater's path. Strong arms snaked around Hermione's waist, pulling her closer, until Hermione could feel Bellatrix's breasts press against her chest. And she groaned in pleasure when the older woman's slim, trained fingers slipped down the curves of her hips, down to her thighs and hoisted up her dress, revealing the pale flesh that hid underneath.

"You must know the power that lives inside you..." Bellatrix hot breath tickled Hermione's earlobe as the tip of her tongue traced down the young brunette's neck. Sharp nails clawed the inside of Hermione's thighs and she arched her back, pressing her lower body longingly against Bellatrix's. "You have no idea, my love, what you can be. You can be great. You can be the most powerful witch this world has ever known..." Every word was followed by a tormenting slow approach towards Hermione's core. The brunette shivered under the touch.

Bellatrix claimed her wife on the nearest table, revealing parts of tender flesh as she tore apart the dress. Hungry lips bit down on soft skin, bruising what now truly belonged to her. Drops of blood glistened, laced with sweat, on Hermione's chest as she arched her back, her nails digging deeply into Bellatrix's back. Raven curls tickled her face and she bit down harshly on the other woman's shoulder, having torn the fabric that had obscured it mere minutes before.

"I will be..." Hermione breathed heavily, her heart thumping in her chest as her now aching body rested against Bellatrix's strong frame "...anything I can be for you..."

"Reveal your true nature..." Bellatrix moaned as Hermione's hands cupped her breasts and began peeling down the remainder of her dress down her skin. She revealed bruised flesh, dark red marks still lingering there where Hermione had hurt her in the times before. Lust filled charcoal eyes flickered as the young brunette removed black laced underwear and for the first time Hermione saw the raven haired woman in all her glory, her body looking like that of a sculptured goddess in the early morning sunlight.

Her cries echoed off the walls, cutting through the silence that filled the Manor, as she threw back her head and allowed Hermione to attack the pulsating vein in her neck. The pain was a sensation so overwhelming that it caused Bellatrix's knees to buckle and her body collapsed under its release. Blood trickled from the cuts along her back where deep nail marks had been left. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead and in the valley between her breasts. She seemed to glow in an odd mixture of silver sweat and burgundy drops of blood.

The floor was their bed, surrounded by the torn sheds of their dresses, and they lay entangled in each other's arms. Their bodies were beaten, bruised and scarred. Neither spoke and two sets of eyes stared up at the ceiling without really seeing. The steady rising and falling of their chests betrayed how the hungry excitement had faded and how both had fallen victim to the numbness once again. The cold rapidly invaded their bones but neither of them felt its pain.

"The Dark Lord knows not what you can become, my love..." Bellatrix softly whispered, turning her head to look at the brunette at her side. Hermione lay still, on her back, her hazel eyes fixed on the Victorian ceiling of the drawing room. She did not respond to Bellatrix's voice. "He cannot comprehend what lies inside you. He knew your parents and he admired their strengths, their devotion. But he does not know how those powers have come to live inside of you... The strengths of two of the most powerful wizards this world has ever known. More powerful... than the Dark Lord himself..."

Her last words were a whisper. The Manor belonged to her sister but the walls belonged to the Dark Lord. They heard everything.

"I cannot measure with him..." Hermione said and sat up. Her thick brown curls rained down her back like an endless waterfall and her eyes were drawn to the window. Slowly she stood up, still naked, and approached the glass. The sun had fully risen now, revealing yet another depressingly grey day. Clouds were rapidly becoming thicker. More rain was soon to come. "He knows powers I can merely dream off..."

"You have yet to discover, my love. You have yet to know what it is you can do..." Bellatrix too stood up and with a flick of her wand she was dressed. She approached her wife and her arms snaked around her waist. She kissed the base of her neck and smelled the scent of sex laced with blood. Her heart beat rapidly increased and her fingers began to draw insignificant circles on Hermione's naked stomach. She did not seem to mind she was still naked and only slightly turned her head to look at her wife.

"What is it you're saying, Bella?"

"You can _defy _him..."

"Have you lost your mind?" Hermione whispered harshly and Bellatrix instinctively covered her wife's mouth with her hand. Dark eyes widened in warning. She was quick to remove her fingers when Hermione attempted to bite down on them. Horror flickered in Hermione's hazel eyes and she was breathing faster. "Bella, that is preposterous – even coming from you!"

Bellatrix shook her head and charcoal eyes maintained eye contact. "Foolish child! Have you got no idea of how everything would change?"

Hermione frowned and the back of her throat suddenly became dry. "Have you actually given this some _thought_?"

"Who am I to lie to you?" Bellatrix kissed Hermione's cheek and her fingers ran through her hair. Instantly, Hermione relaxed and allowed her body to rest against Bellatrix's. The dark haired woman smiled, her fingers now sliding down Hermione's arm until they reached their newly created wedding rings. "My love, my darling, he is _nothing_ compared to you. If only you revealed what you truly are. The Dark Lord has no clue... He seems to have forgotten the darkness your mother possessed. I have watched her stand over a squirming Muggle, blood pouring from his eyes as he begged her for mercy. She would not murder him at her feet. She would bring him home. Would make him believe he had a chance of living. She would tend to his wounds only to injury him again, more severely. And she would heal him over and over. No torture I have ever seen was crueler... She would watch him bleed to death, smile as that last breath escaped from his throat..."

Hermione did not flinch. The mention of the woman who was her mother stirred no emotion inside of her. Throughout her whole life she had believed Karen Granger to be her mother. The woman, or the monster, Bellatrix described was not the woman she had known. Slowly she turned to look at her wife and swallowed. Her throat was still dry.

"So she killed people and enjoyed it..." she spoke slowly. "What has that got to do with what I am?"

"I watched you smile when you killed Rodolphus, my darling. And you murdered the witch in the house without a second thought..." Bellatrix brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face. The tips of her fingers brushed against the young brunette's cheek. "You are so very like your mother..."

"And my father?" Hermione asked whilst averting her eyes. She felt a sense of envy that Bellatrix had known her parents whereas she knew nothing more but their names. "What was he like?"

"Oh your father was a skilled wizard, my love. I watched him perform curses no one had ever seen before. Spells he invented himself and enjoyed testing on unsuspecting Muggles of weakened Aurors. He was very powerful. Many crumbled in his mere presence. He was perhaps the only other wizard the Dark Lord ever feared. Many have this misconception that he fears Albus Dumbledore. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was your father he feared. And now he fears you..."

"The seed of pure evil..." Hermione snorted and shook her head. Irony laced through her words and she turned around, now facing Bellatrix fully. She was still naked and Bellatrix's eyes dropped down to her breasts. "And the Dark Lord fears the existence of a child..."

"Not a mere child. The Chosen One..." Bellatrix placed her lips against Hermione's collarbone. The girls' skin was cold against her lips.

"I thought Potter was the Chosen One..." Hermione answered.

"Potter is nothing" Bellatrix continued to kiss Hermione's skin, lowering further down to the younger witch's breasts. She could feel Hermione's heart beat in her chest. Hermione placed a hand on Bellatrix's head before suddenly grasping a fistful of black curls and forcefully pulling her away from her. Bellatrix's dark eyes snapped up and their gazes locked. Anger suddenly roared in the pit of Hermione's stomach, rushing through her veins and rapidly poisoning her blood. Hazel eyes darkened and Bellatrix smiled.

"You can feel it, my love..." she whispered, not showing a hint of pain. "Let it control you..."

"Why did you bond with me?" Hermione suddenly demanded. Her other hand grabbed Bellatrix's firmly under her chin and she spun the raven haired witch around, pinning her harshly against the cold window. Bellatrix groaned under the impact against the glass. Hermione released the raven curls. Instead, she silently summoned her wand and it landed neatly in her hand. Bellatrix's charcoal eyes widened and a devious smile began to spread across her face. Hermione had discovered her potential.

"Silent charms... _Very good_... Many will not learn that until so much later..." Bellatrix whispered and Hermione's fingers slipped from her chin down to her throat, slowly closing around her airways. Still there was not a hint of fear in her eyes. Not even when the tip of Hermione's wand poked dangerously into the side of her throat, leaving behind a burning red mark. "Hermione..._ Eris_..."

"No!" Hermione growled and her fingers slipped from Bellatrix's throat. She withdrew her wand. A cough escaped from the other woman's throat and Bellatrix's slim fingers examined the burn left behind by Hermione's wand. Hermione turned her back towards Bellatrix, flicked her wand and instantly found herself dressed in a burgundy red dress. Her thick curls fell down her back and she clenched her fists. "Not Eris... I am Hermione..."

Bellatrix unexpectedly grasped Hermione by her arm and began walking her towards the door of the drawing room. "Come, my love. It is time you meet your past and your destiny..."

~()~

When Hermione reopened her eyes after having Apparated along with Bellatrix, she found herself standing outside a large Victorian mansion. It lay at the end of an overgrown drive. All the trees were bare and leafs lay rotting along the path. The grass had been left to grow freely and reached as high as her thighs. The stone had been tainted by the hands of time and had turned into a dark shade of grey. Here and there ivy had found its way through small cracks and wound its way along upwards towards the roof. Some of the large windows had been broken and it looked like one of the weeping willows had been struck by lightning. What had once been a large pond with fountain had turned into a mud pool, littered with rotting leaves. The fountain was partially destroyed and bore clear signs of magic. Hermione could tell it was supposed to have been a black dragon breathing three separate rays of fire. Its head and part of its tail were missing.

"Welcome home..." Bellatrix smirked and began walking towards the destroyed mansion. Hermione hesitated for a moment but then quickly followed her wife and after a few minutes they reached the front door. It was made out of black wood and, unlike other parts of the house, seemed undamaged. Bellatrix placed her hand against the silver door handle and closed her eyes. Nothing happened. Slowly she turned to Hermione.

"Only the true heir can gain entrance..." she said slowly and took Hermione's hand, placing it over the handle. "There was a time all of those faithful to the Dark Lord could enter but those times have long since passed..."

Hermione took a deep breath. Her heart was hammering in her chest and then her fingers closed around the cold metal. Almost instantly it grew warm under her touch and she pulled back. What seemed to be a blood like glow now covered the silver, before slowly seeping into it. With a horrible creaking sound the door swung open, revealing the darkness that lay behind it. Hermione carefully stepped inside, drew her wand and whispered "Lumos". The glow of the light casted strange shadows on the wall as she and Bellatrix stepped into the large entrance hall. It had a high ceiling with what seemed like an ancient Greek inspired painting depicting a scene of rivalling Gods.

Bellatrix looked at Hermione. The young brunette's face was illuminated by the tip of her wand and Bellatrix smiled. "You look so much like your mother..."

"I'd say I agreed or disagree if I only knew what my mother looked like..." Hermione answered sharply and Bellatrix nodded. She went ahead and Hermione closely followed, occasionally using her wand to inspect items on a large table against the long wall in the hall. A variety of expensive looking paintings, many of them of Greek gods and goddesses or scenes from mythology, decorated the walls. None of the paintings seemed to be of any witches or wizards.

They had arrived in what had once been a library. Hundreds of books lay spread across the floor, many of their pages torn out and shred to pieces. Covers had been torn off, leaving books without title and identity. Hermione began to suspect the Aurors had destroyed the house the night her parents were killed and she had been taken away. A sense of anger and loss washed over her and she turned to Bellatrix, who was standing by the black marble fire place to her right. Chairs and sofas had been thrown over, cushions had been torn apart and feathers filled the air now that they were disturbed. Dust prickled Hermione's nose and she suppressed a sneeze. Thick layers of dust covered furniture, walls and carpets.

"It is not a magical painting. Your parents did not believe in paintings being able to engage in communication. I dare say I cannot blame them. Often it is too much of a distraction having to listen to the opinions of those whom have nothing better to do than sit in their frames and pass judgments on things that no longer concern them..." Bellatrix said sharply, referring to the Malfoy ancestors in the drawing room back at the Manor. Lucius had refused to remove them or even silence them during their meetings.

Hermione approached slowly and in the weak light of her wand she discovered a painting hanging over the fireplace. As she came closer it appeared from the shadows and the dust and in her chest her heart froze. The painting was of two people; a man and a woman. The man had thick, lustrous dark black hair that reached down to his shoulders. Part of it was held back in a ponytail, the remainder fell freely. He had an olive toned skin and intense green eyes, which even in this non moving picture seemed to glisten in a dark, devious manner. His nose looked like it had been broken one too many times and once, back in the day, he had been an attractive man. A scar covered the left side of his face, starting right beside his eye, across his cheek and down the corner of his mouth. _Battle scars._

The woman was nothing short of beautiful. Her skin was pale but pure, with faint pink blushes spread across her cheeks. She was slender and tall, and sat up straight in the old Victorian armchair. Her husband stood behind her, his large hands resting on the back of the chair. He wore several golden rings with dark gemstones. He had the hands of a fighter, with swollen and slightly bruised knuckles.

The woman's brown hair was neatly held back in a bun in the back of her neck. A few strands fell down the sides of her face, playfully and elegant. But it were her eyes that drew Hermione in. It was as if she was looking at herself in the mirror and she felt a sharp pain in her chest. The same hazel brown eyes she had seen so many times. The woman's lips betrayed the slight hint of a smile. Something brought happiness to her face and illuminated her eyes. And it wasn't until Hermione's gaze dropped down to the woman's lap that she recognised why. There, safely protected in her mother's arms, lay an infant no older than a week.

"The resemblance is striking, my love..." Bellatrix whispered as she took a stand behind Hermione and rested her head on her lover's shoulder. "You are so very much alike..."

"All of this..." Hermione gestured around the library "...is mine?"

Bellatrix placed a soft kiss on Hermione's neck and smiled. "The whole world can be yours..."

She felt reborn. A sense of power and strength took hold of her. It erupted in her stomach, bursting from its depths like a volcano spewing burning lava. She rolled her wand through her fingers, her muscles tightening as the seconds passed. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, its rhythm slowing the more she controlled her breathing.

"The Dark Lord feared them..." Hermione whispered, her eyes fixed on the painting. She gazed at the infant in the woman's arms. She was the daughter of Kharon Drakos and Malinda Macaula and she had a destiny. Behind her, Bellatrix stirred. The raven haired woman searched for her wife's hand and Hermione turned to face her. Hazel eyes had darkened and anger flickered deeply beyond them. "A destiny was made for me. As their sole heir I am the Chosen One..."

"The Chosen One for everything..." Bellatrix smiled.

"You knew. You knew what lay ahead of me and you knew I could defy the Dark Lord once I knew my true heritage..." Hermione snapped and Bellatrix hesitated briefly before drawing her wand. However, Hermione did not attempt to attack her. She studied the Death Eater that had become her wife as she stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by dust floating in the air and dim sunlight falling through one of the broken library windows. "You wish for me to overthrow the Dark Lord. To remove him from his reign so I can..." She paused and suddenly she laughed. "..So _we _can change the world..."

Bellatrix's lips hungrily closed around Hermione's and they engaged into a deep, passionate kiss. Their golden bands glistened in the weak light and when they broke apart, Hermione was panting slightly. She brushed a stray curl from Bellatrix's face.

"How, my love..." Bellatrix whispered, her tongue tracing the shape of Hermione's lips and her fingers began to untie the laces of her corset.

Hermione bit her lip and her eyes snapped up to the painting of her parents. "We kill Potter..." she smiled whilst Bellatrix's fingers slowly removed the burgundy material from her flesh. "And we vanquish the Dark Lord..."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

_To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die,  
but he can never know that he is dead.  
__~Samuel Butler_

It took most of the day to restore the Drakos mansion. Pieces of shattered glass fell back into place as the windows magically reformed. Dust was cleared, pictures were cleaned and broken items were fixed. For the first time in sixteen years magic brought the walls of the mansion alive. Candles ignited across the rooms, filling even the darkest corners with a tender and warming light. The torn books in the library were reunited with missing pages and their shredded covers and found their original places on the shelves. The fire ignited in the fireplace and it did not take long for the room to find back its original majestic feeling. Hermione watched how the dining chairs whizzed around the room before being rejoined with missing legs and torn seat covers. The glass table stood proudly in the middle of the room and the black crystal chandelier above it spread a golden gloom across the room.

Outside the day slowly began to fade away. Minutes changed into hours and the vastness of the mansion only became clear when Hermione and Bellatrix reached the second floor where they found six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a large study. Their combined magic restored every room to its former glory, revealing the pride that had been hidden underneath thick layers of dust. They uncovered more paintings of Hermione's parents in various stages of their lives. They always stood side by side. Her father almost always looked arrogant and proud. Her mother looked tall, beautiful but with a darkness lingering in every painting. The more Hermione stared at the woman who had given birth to her, the more the image of what this witch used to do to her victims became clearer in her head. And with the passing of the hours, the strength she felt inside only grew – it spread through her veins like a poison, rapidly taking over. Her heart hammered in her chest when she eventually found Bellatrix on the landing, leaning against the wooden banister that surrounded the staircase.

The raven haired Death Eater smiled when her young wife reached her. There was a black smudge across Hermione's cheek. "You have uncovered your heritage, my love. No other will live between these walls but you. This mansion will not recognise any other blood..."

"What about the blood I married?" Hermione questioned longingly and rested her head against Bellatrix's shoulder. Their position could almost be described as loving, were it not for their true feelings and personalities. Neither was truly capable of loving the other.

"I have been allowed between these walls..." Bellatrix whispered. Her lips were now close to Hermione's ear and her hot breath made her wife shiver. "When I was accepted to walk through the front door, the mansion accepted me as your spouse, my love. It is your choice whether you, we, chose to live here. There are things here you need to see. You need to understand..."

Hermione looked up. Darkened hazel eyes met Bellatrix's charcoal orbs. "What exactly does the Prophecy tell us, Bella?"

Bellatrix swallowed and her eyes drifted across the magnificent landing. Once again the ceiling was decorated with elaborate paintings depicting scenes from Greek mythology. Her father's heritage could be felt in every room. It was as if the walls had soaked up their strength, their darkness, and were now radiating it out towards her. She could feel them here. She could feel their souls still lingering between their walls. Here she felt for the first time that she could actually feel her parents around her.

"A child would be born with such powers even the one in control of all things dark would fear for his reign..." Bellatrix spoke slowly, her eyes fixed on a statue of the God of War, Ares. His statue could be found in various rooms around the house, as well as some of the painting. "For only a battle of life and death can truly decide who is to be the Ruler of the Shadows..." She glanced at Hermione. "The Dark Lord knows this, my love..."

"Why, if he knew I am a threat to him, did he ever find me the night my parents died? Surely it would have been so much wiser for him to just kill me? Or let the Aurors take me to a place where I would perhaps never have learned about my past?" Hermione thought out loud. The questions began to fill her head. She was desperate for answers. The Dark Lord's actions had seemed erratic. Why would one risk losing everything? Beside her, Bellatrix stirred. "Why leave the one soul alive that can threaten your mere existence?"

"The Prophecy states the Chosen One can only be destroyed in a battle of equality. One where either of you stands a chance to live or die. Only death can chose the true Ruler of Shadows, the one truly in power of darkness. The Dark Lord would have had no security had he murdered you as an infant, Hermione. Any other could have challenged him – he would have been forced to face them all. He has to face you as the prodigious witch you are. He has to face was lies inside you for him to be able to defeat you. It is not the Potter boy he fears, my love. It is you..."

Hermione stepped away from Bellatrix, her eyes now fixed on one of the paintings on the wall. It was a scene depicting the great pit of Tartarus; originally the exclusive prison of the old Titan gods but later came to mean the dungeon home of the damned souls. It was a dark, almost horrific scene and she narrowed her eyes, inspecting every inch of the painting before turning back towards Bellatrix. Her wife had not moved. Hermione's eyes flickered dangerously.

"Then he shall have his battle of life and death..." she whispered and a twisted smile spread across her pale face. Bellatrix's dark eyes ignited with passion and fire at the brunette's words. Hermione's heart felt empty and hollow. She felt numb inside. A cold had invaded her chest though the anger, the hatred, in the pit of her stomach was still very much alive. It burned like the endless fires of hell. "And death is no longer to be my enemy. Therefore, let it be his..."

~()~

Night time had fallen when they arrived back at Malfoy Manor. Candle light lit the dark glass windows and it was Bellatrix who opened the front doors, revealing the large entrance hall behind. No sooner had they stepped inside or the sound of hurried footsteps echoed off the walls and the slender frame of Narcissa appeared at the top of the staircase. She shot one look down to see who had arrived and at the sight of her sister and Hermione she hurried down and instantly grabbed hold of Bellatrix's hand. Only now did Hermione register the fear in Narcissa's eyes. The blonde witch seemed frightened.

"What have you done?" she demanded from her sister, who managed to free herself from the other woman's strong grip. Hermione saw how Bellatrix's fingers traced the shape of her wand stored in her dress but the raven haired witch had never dared to draw her wand on her own sister.

"Cissy, do explain this madness..." Bellatrix urged, also taking in the fear in her sister's eyes. She shot a glance at Hermione and then her dark eyes drifted down the corridor – towards the drawing room. And Hermione suddenly wondered whether the Dark Lord knew of their pact. Had he already learned she was about to do exactly as the Prophecy stated – that she would defy him and would not hesitate to battle him up till the moment one of them would lay dead.

Narcissa's eyes moved between Bellatrix and Hermione. She had seen the golden wedding bands and a sense of envy struck her. She had been angered when she had been asked to leave and now that her sister stood before she could no longer deny the feeling there was so much more to it all. She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat away. She sounded hoarse when she spoke. "The Dark Lord has been demanding your presence..."

"The Dark Lord possesses far better methods to call for me than to use my sister as a messenger..." Bellatrix answered sharply, revealing the Dark Mark on her forearm. Hermione had seen it so many times but like any other time before the sharp contrast against the milky skin still froze her heart. She smothered the gasp that was about to escape from her throat and Bellatrix's eyes fixed on Narcissa. "Now, Cissy, what on Earth is the reason for your rambling?"

"He was adamant he spoke to you...And Miss... Hermione... " Narcissa whispered, not quite sure with which last name to address Hermione. Hermione noticed how Narcissa's hands were shaken and she noticed the dark red rings around her eyes. Suddenly Bellatrix's eyes narrowed. Without warning she circled her sister and tucked at the loose cream coloured robes falling around her slender frame. She pulled down the back of Narcissa's gown and hatred ignited in her eyes. Hermione could hear Bellatrix grate her teeth, a clear sign of anger building up. Fiery red gashes covered Narcissa's pale flesh from just underneath the base of her neck down to the small of her back. Her sister cowered away, desperatly clutching the robes back around her body and turned to Bellatrix and Hermione.

"My own sister..." Bellatrix hissed through clenched teeth and drew her wand. Narcissa took a step back, clearly startled by her sister's hatred. Bellatrix filed past her and turned on her heels about half way down the hall. Hermione had already followed and drew her own wand. "Is the Dark Lord still here?"

Narcissa fought back the tears welling up behind her eyes and took a step in the direction of the two witches. "Please, Bella... Don't do this... "Her voice was laced with despair. "The Prophecy... It can be ignored..."

"Even if I were to choose to ignore it, I still deserve my revenge..." Bellatrix snapped and spun around. She ran down the corridor, closely followed by Hermione. Their footsteps echoed off the walls. With a sharp flick of Bellatrix's wand the doors to the drawing room were blown of their hinges and landed half way across the room. Splinters of wood rained down and a cloud of dust rose up. The dark cloaked figure by the window slowly turned around and the full figure of Voldemort faced them, his wand tenderly resting between his fingers. There was almost something elegant about the way he faced them. He even had the courtesy to bow.

"I have been expecting you..." spoke Voldemort with what could only be described as contempt. His fiery red eyes fixed on the raven haired Death Eater standing two feet away from him. She was panting slightly. "Have you come to kill me, Bellatrix?"

"No, she hasn't" Hermione answered. "But I have..."

"Ah Miss Drakos...Or Miss Black, whichever you prefer. I am aware of the Prophecy of course, having heard it the night you were born. But only a fool would dare to face me here... to challenge my absolute power... Perhaps allowing you to be raised by Muggles made you foolish, child..." the Dark Lord almost sounded amused. Hermione did not flinch. She stepped past Bellatrix, now standing as shield between her wife and the Dark Lord she had come to kill. The Dark Lord nodded, recognizing her devotion. "But if you must... You are aware of the consequences?"

"A battle of life and death" Hermione repeated what Bellatrix had told her earlier. "But death is only an enemy to those who are afraid to die. Are you afraid of death, My Lord?"

"One who is immortal does not fear death. You cannot kill what does not truly live. A soul has to be present..." the Dark Lord answered, still with a polite tone to his voice. Which every word his snake like tongue protruded from his mouth and he seemed to glow in the silver moonlight that fell from the large window. He was almost see through. His red eyes were fixed on her face and she could feel him in her head. She fought to keep out, straining herself only slightly. She watched how the Dark Lord flinched when she silently forced him out of her mind. She smiled.

"Immortality is a curse, My Lord" Hermione said sharply, her eyes never once breaking eye contact with the wizard she had come to loathe. Magic filled the room. "And one ought to remember that the old Greek belief was that one could only be immortal if both body and soul were intact. An eternal union. If one or the other was damaged or broken, immortality was never to be achieved..."

There was a brief silence in which the Dark Lord merely stared at the child he knew he would have to kill- be it today, tomorrow or many years from now. And in this instant, this mere second, he remembered standing over her crib the night her parents' bloodied bodies lay on the floor. She had cried as she looked up to him but instantly silenced once their eyes made contact. He had seen it then, deeply beyond her eyes. The power this child would unleash would be unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had contemplated killing her. He had contemplated leaving for the Aurors to find and rid himself of the future that lay head. But the knowledge of the Prophecy weighed heavy. No one would know the outcome of his act and he was left with one choice; to allow the child to grow up and wait for the day she would stand before him – ready for either of them to die. The day had come.

"Today is a good day to die..." he spoke unexpectedly and Hermione's wand shot up, now directly aimed at his chest. Her hand was motionless. Her fingers clutched her wand so firmly her knuckled turned white. Her breath chocked in the back of her throat and for a mere second it felt as if her heart had stopped beating but then suddenly, unexpectedly, it started hammering against her ribcage. Blood was pumped around her body in rapid speeds, causing her to experience a rush. Even if his words about immortality were true, she had no other choice but to try and kill him.

"Any day is a good day to die, My Lord..." Hermione answered. Behind her Bellatrix stepped forward but Hermione stopped her from coming nearer. Instantly, Bellatrix lowered her wand. Hermione's fingers closed around her wrist and she turned to look at her wife. Bellatrix's dark eyes flickered in fury. The anger over what the Dark Lord had done to her sister was clearly visible in her charcoal orbs. "This is only for me, Bella. I know you wish to torture him and I assure you, I have every understanding for your feelings, but there is only one who can hurt him today. You know only I can spill his blood..."

When she spun around she did not waist a single second. She stretched out her arm and her wand aimed directly at the Dark Lord's chest. She had no idea whether a heart was beating inside of him but the corners of her mouth turned up into an evil smile when the spell slipped from her lips.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"CRUCIO!"

The spells collided in mid air, causing an explosion that instantly shattered the window. Glass rained down upon Hermione and she could feel the sharp edges cut through her skin. She stepped sideways, placing herself behind the large table. Her hazel eyes were still fixed on the Dark Lord. He had not moved and now stood beside the broken window, seemingly unhurt. Bellatrix stood a few steps behind her, her wand drawn, yet she did not move. Another pair of footsteps arrived and Hermione allowed herself a second to look at Narcissa as she rushed into the room. Bellatrix grabbed her around her waist, pulling her away from Hermione. Now, in all her fury, Narcissa looked so much more like Bellatrix than Hermione had ever imagined. Angry blue eyes were fixed on the Dark Lord.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Hermione cried and she watched in twisted amusement how a deep cut appeared across the Dark Lord's face, starting just above his air, over what had once been his nose and down to the corner of his mouth. Thick drops of burgundy drops began seeping from his snake like skin and Hermione instantly ducked when a Killing Curse was shot her way.

"Bellatrix has taught you dear old Severus' spells..." the Dark Lord taunted as he slowly stared across the room, his wand still resting between his fingers like some delicate tool. Hermione never took her eyes off him. Blood still gushed down his face and she could see the trail of blood he left behind as he walked. Cuts had appeared across his body and blood now drenched his black robes. Yet he showed no sign of weakness. For a second she wondered whether the immortality comment had been true.

His wand was aimed at her chest, at the level of her heart. She rose her own wand, ready to defend herself when the spell came. As she was about to cry "Protego", the Dark Lord's arm changed angle and his wand was aimed at Bellatrix instead. Hermione's eyes widened in horror and a horrified scream escaped from her throat as she turned and began running across the room. She reached her wife just before the bright red jet of light did and the spell crashed into her chest, knocking her instantly through the floor.

The pain was excruciating. It was as if someone had replaced her blood by acid, slowly eating its way from the inside towards the surface. Her heart wrenched in her chest and her stomach emptied itself onto the wooden floor. Her body jerked involuntarily as stone cold tears ran down her cheeks. She could hear Bellatrix's voice in the distance, crying words she could not understand. The world had turned into a blur, faced had begun to fade. And then suddenly it was gone. The pain abandoned her and she lay heaving on the floor, her dress now covered in her own vomit. She did not hesitate and staggered back onto her feet, once again yielding her wand.

"The Prophecy states it is a battle of life and death between you and me, My Lord. You have no right to include Bellatrix or Narcissa..." Hermione breathed and once again placed herself between the Dark Lord and her wife and her sister. Hazel eyes darkened. "I obviously should have known you would not hold your word. If you do not hold yours, who are you to insist I keep mine? Why can I now not call upon Bellatrix and Narcissa to assist me as I eradicate you?"

"Very well" the Dark Lord gave her a curt nod. "My apologies..." His red eyes narrowed until there was hardly any red left to see. "Are you willing to die for her?"

"I will die for anything as long at its not for you, My Lord" Hermione answered in pure honesty and she flicked her wand. "IMPEDIMENTA!"

The knocking-back jinx was simple but it did what she wanted it to. It unexpectedly threw the Dark Lord's figure backwards, crashing it against one of the furthest walls. He slumped down into a pile of limps and black robes and for a few seconds he lay still. A small river of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and Hermione suddenly became aware of the sweet taste on her own lips. Blood was dripping from her nose and her mouth. Her face was covered in dust and riddled with small cuts from the broken glass. A sense of victory overwhelmed her and she started across the room. When she reached the sprawled out figure of Lord Voldemort, she merely smirked.

"So much for the darkest wizard this world has ever seen..."

Her words trailed off and his red eyes snapped back open. His jinx only missed because she was quick enough to dodge it. It crashed into one of the old Malfoy paintings, instantly setting alight. Hot flames ate away at the wizard's face. His screaming voice filled the room. The Dark Lord leapt back to his feat graciously, almost as if he was flying, and faced her. Spells were now flying around the room, crashing into the remaining windows, the walls, ornament and the fireplace. Narcissa and Bellatrix backed away as Hermione and the Dark Lord fought their battle for control. Dust filled the room and more glass rained down upon all present here.

Narcissa seemed desperate to intervene but it was Bellatrix who kept her sister's arms securely at her side, whispering something in her that nobody else could hear. One of the spells, it was impossible to tell who had cast it, shattered the crystal chandelier on the ceiling and with a horrible sound it came crashing down, shattering into a million pieces once it hit the floor. Shards of crystal spread across the room, piercing and cutting the skin of all those present.

"Face it, child... You cannot kill me..." the Dark Lord said as he circled Hermione. She was circling him at the same time. The tension between them mounted. Neither of them was seriously hurt, though the damage to Lord Voldemort was more severe than the injuries sustained by Hermione. He was still bleeding from the cuts left behind by Hermione's earlier spell. "It was foolish of you to believe a mere child like yourself could ever defy me. You have no idea..."

"Nor do you..." Hermione answered. She was panting. It was as if all the air had been squeezed out of her lungs. Her heart hammered against her ribcage and swallowed. She began to register the pain in her body. Like someone had poured boiling water all over her. Her skin was burning. And with every passing second the pain became stronger. "Perhaps today is the day neither one of us dies, My Lord. Perhaps the Prophecy was not intended to be fulfilled today. But surely you must realize that from this day onwards you can never again turn your back on me. Your eyes shall forever be fixed on me...Every shadow you find along your way, every daunting thought... Your enemy is not the Potter boy. Your enemy, My Lord, is me... "

"Insolent child!" the Dark Lord cried and rose to his full, tall figure. Fire exploded from the tip of his wand and rapidly the flames began eating away at the wooden floor boards, the remainder of the curtains and the walls. Thick clouds of black smoke filled the room and Hermione covered her mouth with her hand. She just about could see Bellatrix and Narcissa crawling out of the room, both coughing and desperate for fresh air. She was alone now. It would end here today. Death would proof itself to be a loyal friend.

Hermione responded with a powerful version of "Aguamenti" and most of the flames instantly died. The Dark Lord watched in amusement how she attempted to safe what was left of the drawing room. One of the walls had been so badly damaged in their battle that a few of the bricks had been blasted away, allowing the cool evening air to find its way into the room. What was left behind now that the flames were gone were charcoaled walls and burnt curtains. Plumes of smoke rose up from the burnt floorboards. She took in a deep breath. The air was still hot in her lungs.

"Immortality is a curse, My Lord..." Hermione hissed through her teeth. "You will wish I had killed you here tonight. Because from this day onward you shall live in the constant knowledge death is upon you. In every word, in every look... in every moment you spend alone. Trust is no longer what it was. Look at Bellatrix. She abandoned you as soon as she found a power so much greater than your own. One that recognized her potential too. Have you not realized what me and her can be together? Oh how she is so much more worthy to me than she has ever been to you..."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"PROTEGO!"

The Shield Charm had not come from Hermione and when she spun around she found Narcissa standing in the door way. Blue eyes were blazing and she cocked her head. "This ends here. Neither one of you shall die today and neither of you will do any more damage. The Prophecy is not meant to be outlived today. The future will give us a time when it is. Miss Black, you are welcome to stay..." Intense blue eyes fixed on the spot where the Dark Lord had been standing mere seconds ago. He was gone. All that remained was the blood pool, the burgundy drops now seeping into the wooden floor.

Bellatrix filed past her sister and hurried across the room, enveloping Hermione in her arms. The young brunette was covered in glass, dust and blood and stank of smoke. But Bellatrix's tenderly brushed against the skin of her neck and her voice was warm and intense. "You did well, my love"

Hermione shook her head and brushed some of the blood from her lips. She stared at the bloodied smudge on the back of her hand and then her eyes were drawn to one of the broken windows. "He is alive, Bella. I failed..."

"Oh no my darling..." Bellatrix kissed Hermione's forehead. "The Dark Lord has failed to kill you. Now he knows the threat you truly are. But he has also realizes he still needs you. Oh he wishes he had died, my love. For now that he is alive he will have to endure the endless torture of knowing he will never be able to outdo you. You have won merely by keeping him alive..."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** I have decided to change the title of the story to "Ruler of Shadows", as it seems far more fitting for this story now. This story has become so much darker, so much more intense, than I had ever intended for it to be. I never thought I'd start off something like this. Thank you all for reviewing so far. You guys kick ass, seriously!

**Chapter 13**

_"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you will see."  
Winston Churchill_

Hermione paced around the room, her hands securely balled into fists. Her nails dug deeply into the palms of her hand, drawing tiny drops of blood. The pain was a relief, a feeling that she needed so much. She could feel Bellatrix's eyes in her back but she did not turn around. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, tracing her own footsteps. Her heart hammered in her chest. Frustration was a feeling she had never quite learnt to deal with and it was eating away at her. It did not matter that Bellatrix had said she had not failed. She felt like a failure and the knowledge the Dark Lord was still alive infuriated her.

"Listen to me..." Bellatrix pleaded and she moved away from the wall against which she had been leaning. She reached her Hermione and grasped the younger witch's arms, forcing her to look at her. Hermione's eyes snapped up. Her face was a twisted mask of anger and she was breathing hard. "My love, you must listen to me. You did not fail..."

"Explain to me how allowing the Dark Lord to live whilst I should have killed him is not a failure..." Hermione demanded and turned her head away when Bellatrix attempted to caress her cheek. "Let go off me, Bella..."

Instantly Bellatrix let go and glanced over her shoulder. Narcissa was sitting in one of the arm chairs by the fire place. They were in the library after having finally succeeded to remove a furious Hermione from the drawing room. The anger had subsided now, slowly beginning to reveal the calm that lived underneath. The look the two sisters shared expressed a sense of fear and worry. Narcissa slowly rose to her feet and made her way across the room. Hermione now stood by the window, resting her thumping head against the cold glass.

"You heard what Bella said, Hermione. You have done more damage by allowing him to live..."

"That doesn't change anything about the Prophecy now does it?" Hermione snapped and spun around. Narcissa stood right behind her but the blonde witch took a step backwards when she registered the anger still flickering in Hermione's eyes. Hermione's face was a mask of hatred. Her pale skin was flushed and her eyes were darker than they had ever been before. For the first time Narcissa really saw the resemblance to Malinda. It was terrifying.

"He ought to have died..." Hermione breathed. Then her eyes fixed on Bellatrix. The raven haired Death Eater seemed at a loss. It was the first time Hermione had ever seen her wife struck by being powerless. The usual intense glint in her charcoal eyes was gone. Bellatrix looked tired. "You never told me what that damned Prophecy says, exactly. Yes, it tells me how I am supposed to defy the Dark Lord but surely there is so much more to it. It cannot be just about whoever lives or dies..."

"No one but the Dark Lord knows the true words of the Prophecy, my love. It was made to him the night you were born by an old Seer from Romania. Only few have ever heard it. I do not know what it said for the Dark Lord never shared its full truth with us. The Dark Lord has heard it, of course. It was she who told him about you" Bellatrix paused and Hermione curiously searched her wife's face. "He _needed_ you, Hermione. He needed you to become the great wizard he is. Only the knowledge of you gave him what he has now. Had he not done so, he would have surely died at your feet tonight"

"So you're saying... what?" Hermione asked, sounding confused. "He is only the great wizard he is because of me?"

"Because of the knowledge of you" Narcissa explained and softly took Hermione by her arm. She allowed Narcissa to walk her to the armchairs by the fire and sat down. Bellatrix sat herself down on the arm rest and her fingers absentmindedly began playing with Hermione's hair before gently stroking the back of her neck. Instantly much of the tension Hermione felt began to subside.

"Legend has it that the Prophecy states that you can only be killed in a battle of life and death where both have equal chances to win. Even now, you are already stronger than the Dark Lord. And as you grow, your power will grow too. You are a mere teenager and yet you already possess strengths the Dark Lord knows not. And he knows this. He has always known. Had he murdered you as a child, he would have suffered severely. He never would gain as much strength, as much knowledge. He _needed_ you to become the great wizard he is. Like you were the motivation for him to develop – he knew that if he did not, you would win the day the battle between you erupted. He would have been so much weaker that Albus Dumbledore or even Harry Potter could have killed him. Never would he have been as great" Narcissa explained slowly and Hermione looked at her.

"It was a sense of fear, Hermione. Fear led him to his greatness..." Bellatrix said. "A fear that made him the Dark Wizard he is. He surrounded himself by those who are loyal to him, those who would fight in his name. But he always made sure none became as powerful as he is. All of them knew your parents, but not many know about the Prophecy. It is a secret amongst a select few. The Dark Lord informed us the night the other Chosen One was born. Two Prophecies about two different destinies. Both children were born him to kill him..."

"Then surely one day he must die..." Hermione narrowed her eyes and stared into the fire. The thought that crept into her mind angered her. "If not at my hands then at the hands of Potter..."

"Do you really wish for Potter to kill him? He is but a fool who has little knowledge about what lies ahead of him. He would have died a long time ago if it was not for the fact he is Dumbledore's little pet..." Bellatrix spoke viciously. "No, my love, it has to be you. Only you are worthy enough..."

"Worthy, perhaps. But what about the part that says the Dark Lord can only be killed by one who is equal to him?" Hermione questioned. She felt angry. And the anger was fuelled by the idea that someone as lame as Potter could stand a chance at killing the Dark Lord. She had watched his pathetic performances in class and every time she had wondered how it was possible he had ever defied the Dark Lord. He could barely perform a decent Transfiguration spell. "And why did he not kill me when he had the chance? What stopped him?"

"You did" Bellatrix said and Hermione gasped. "When you stood before him you knew nothing about the blood running through your veins. The seal had not yet been broken. To him, and to yourself, you were still Hermione Granger. The prophecy stated that he could only kill the heir if she knew. And you only learned that night. When you lost consciousness the truth was revealed. You saw for yourself how your reflection had changed the next day. It was at that moment you were no longer Hermione Granger. Only from that moment onwards could he have murdered you..."

"The equality between you is something merely based on power, Hermione" Narcissa said and shot a quick look at Bellatrix, who nodded. "There are rules in the magical world. There always have been. The death of a child would be considerate extremely heinous. He who murders a child suffers a punishment greater than Azkaban. You are no longer considered a child. And one does not need a reminder of what happened the last time the Dark Lord attempted to murder an infant..."

"No Death Eater has ever murdered a child, Hermione..." Bellatrix said slowly. "Tortured, perhaps, but they will never kill a child. In battle, they often leave them for the Aurors to find. But there shall never be blood of a child on my hands..."

Hermione looked at Bellatrix and the corner of her mouth twitched. The irony of Bellatrix's words made that she smiled. "Nice to know you at least have some morals left..."

There was a silence that lasted for several moments. The three witches all stared into the fire, wathing how the flames ate away at the logs and reduced them to a smouldering pile of ashes. Hermione suddenly became aware of how tired she was. Every bone in her body began to ache and her muscles tightened as if they were about to go into spasm. She groaned and rubbed her forehead. The headache only got worse and it felt as if her head was going to split open. She rested her head in her hands, closing her eyes. The darkness was a welcome comfort.

"You must rest, my love.." Bellatrix said and placed a hand on Hermione's back. "Come..."

She looked up. Tired eyes met those of her wife. "What would have happened if I had died as a child, Bella?"

"The Dark Lord would literally have wasted away..." Bella answered and Hermione detected a hint of appreciation in her voice. There was a gloom of happiness in her charcoal eyes and in the weak light from the fire Bellatrix's face came to live. She realised Bellatrix enjoyed the idea of her Master, or former Master, rotting away in weakness and failure.

"What happened to it? The Prophecy, I mean"

"He broke the orb that contained it. He never wanted another to learn to truth about your existence, Hermione. He feared if Dumbledore would ever learn the truth, he would attempt to pull you to their side. You can imagine how valuable you would have been to them. Only Dumbledore's own ignorance stopped that from happening. The Dark Lord would never have stood a chance once you had fallen into the hands of the Order. He had to risk keeping you alive, away from the Order and away from Dumbledore, and risk that one that you would face him and confront him..." Narcissa answered and looked at Bellatrix. "Now, my sister is quite right, you must rest"

Hermione stood up and Bellatrix took her hand. They started for the door but Hermione held still about half way across the room and turned to look at Bellatrix. "What happens now, Bella?"

Bellatrix smirked. "The Dark Lord will call for us when he needs us, Hermione. You mustn't forget that to all the others, nothing has happened. You are simply the Drakos heir. They do not know about the Prophecy. Not its full extent, anyway. The Dark Lord needs us. He needs me..." she paused and glanced at Narcissa, who still stood by the fire. "...as Lucius is incapable of bringing any mission to a success. He would not risk failure. This is where your victory lies. He needs you. He needs both of us – even if we have defied and betrayed him. Without us, he is nothing. However, he shall never be able to turn his back on you. He fears you more than anything..."

Hermione nodded. She was now so tired she was spinning on her legs and Bellatrix grasped a firmer hold of her, supporting her weight. She guided her up the stairs and into the bedroom. Patient fingers stripped Hermione from her clothes in a way they had never done before and then she helped her to bed, nestling herself beside her. Bellatrix's arm protectively snaked around Hermione's waist and she placed a soft kiss on her shoulder blade.

"Sleep, my love..."

~()~

Three days past in which nothing happened. Three days in which Hermione found herself at first tormented by the full knowledge of the Prophecy and her failure to vanquish the Dark Lord but slowly the thoughts settled in her mind and the frustration and the anger were replaced by a sense of liberation and satisfaction. Perhaps the Dark Lord was not dead, but he feared her. She could live with that knowledge. And that knowledge would surely lead her to a victory on another day.

It was yet again another rainy day when Bellatrix found Hermione walking in the gardens of the Manor. She had protected herself from the cold, invading rain and looked up when her wife approached her. A smile appeared on her face and her lips caught Bellatrix's in a passionate, hungry manner. Bellatrix responded eagerly and enveloped her arms around her young wife. It was the first sign of love and passion Hermione had shown her in the past three days. The hunger that had lived inside Hermione had finally returned.

When they broke apart, Bellatrix lifted Hermione's chin with her fingers, slowly tracing the outline of her jaw and Hermione smirked. She knew this touch. Bellatrix's voice was low and she whispered: "The Dark Lord has given us another mission. We leave tonight..."

"Where?" Hermione asked, her fingers climbing up Bellatrix's arm until they reached the side of her neck. Once there they began to trail down towards her collarbone until they encountered the velvet material of her dress.

"Some Muggle shithole" Bellatrix answered carelessly and longingly stepped closer to Hermione. Her wife's hands slowly started their journey down the front of her dress, following the proud shape of her breasts. Charcoal eyes darkened and she moaned softly when Hermione's thumb found her nipple through the velvet. "Does it matter?"

"I guess not..." Hermione answered and began walking back in the direction of the Manor. Bellatrix followed her inside and up the stairs. There, Hermione grasped her wife's wrist and pulled her closer until their lips crashed together and Hermione forced her way into Bellatrix's mouth. The older woman eagerly met her tongue with her own and her hands roamed Hermione's body, eagerly revealing the flesh of her stomach as she pulled up her shirt. Her knee forced apart Hermione's legs and pressed firmly between her thighs. The young brunette arched her back and Bellatrix took her chance, pinning her wife against the cold brick wall.

Hermione's eyes snapped open and her reaction was instant. Her weight shifted and within seconds the roles had been reversed and it was Bellatrix who found herself pinned against the bedroom wall. Charcoal eyes were filled with lust and Hermione attacked the soft flesh of Bellatrix's neck without removing her hands from her wife's wrists. She groaned in approval when she felt Bellatrix squirm underneath her touch as her tongue began tracking down her neck, her collarbone...

She drew her wand and with a soft flick Bellatrix's dress was instantly removed and she stood in front of Hermione, naked. The sight of her wife's naked body sparked an even stronger sense of lust inside Hermione and she removed her hands from Bellatrix's wrists. The sound of her wand falling to the floor echoed off the walls. Bellatrix's flesh was almost free from bruises and cuts and for once Hermione did not reward her wife with pain. Eager fingers began following the round curves of her breasts, the shape of her hips and eventually down her stomach, past her navel and further down...The torment of her feather light touches, never quite reaching the areas where Bellatrix wanted her most, made Hermione's lips curl up into a devious, almost demonic smile. She placed her lips against Bellatrix's ear. Her wife's body was covered in a thin layer of sweat and she was breathing heavily, desperate to regain her own control. Hermione's teeth sank down on Bellatrix's neck when her fingers eventually encountered the slickness of her core and Bellatrix's body instantly pressed itself against Hermione's. Strong arms wrapped around her back, pulling her closer.

"You see, my love..." Hermione whispered as she pleasured her wife and felt Bellatrix's heart hammering against her own chest. "Everybody needs me somehow..."

~()~

That night a group of Death Eaters gathered on a children's playground on the outskirts of a Muggle estate. One of the swings moved slightly as a powerful gust of wind pulled at Hermione's hair. It created an eerie, haunting sound. It was dark and with their arrival most of the streetlamps instantly stopped working, shrouding the world in blackness. Hermione and Bellatrix were surrounded by the cloaked figures, most of whom were wearing masks. Apart from Bellatrix and Hermione only Lucius had chosen to show his face. His silver blonde hair was an striking feature against the darkness of their surroundings. Yaxley, Rookwood, Nott, Dolohov and Rabastan went hidden behind their silver masks.

"You know the rules..." Bellatrix whispered deviously and looked around the group. "There is nothing here for us apart from some harmless entertainment..." She looked at every single person standing beside her. Yaxley's eyes glistened behind his mask. "I know some of you have become a little...bored... over the past few days. I assure you, things will soon change..."

"How?" Nott barked and Bellatrix's eyes snapped in his direction.

"Tonight is a test..." Bellatrix said and Hermione's stomach suddenly clenched. Bellatrix had been the only one to speak to the Dark Lord. The reason she could only guess. He clearly trusted her enough to make her lead the mission yet he did not dare place himself in the presence of the rest of the Death Eaters, something that had especially irritated Lucius Malfoy. "If we succeed tonight without the Aurors learning we are here, the Dark Lord will proceed with his plans to eradicate the Potter boy. After tonight, the next step is Hogwarts..."

A howling laughter rose from the Death Eaters and echoed through the night. The thought they would soon be infiltrating the castle filled all of those present with excitement. Hermione looked at Bellatrix. This was the first she heard of the plan to attack the castle and she frowned. Surely the Dark Lord did not believe he could invade Hogwarts without Albus Dumbledore noticing he was coming? She could not shed the feeling there was something else. Something Bellatrix was not telling her. She grasped her wife's arm as the black shapes shot off into the night.

"There's something else, isn't there?" she asked and Bellatrix looked at her young wife. Her hand carefully cherished Hermione's cheek and she nodded.

"Look around, my love..." she spoke with a glint in her eye. Hermione's eyes shot around the playground and suddenly she realised what Bellatrix was saying. She remembered. She remembered sitting on that very swing, with her father pushing her. A summer's day it was. He had even brought a picnic. She remembered laughing as her mother played with her on the seesaw and how her mother had eventually picked her up and swung her high through the air until she screamed with laughter.

Hermione's eyes darkened and she looked at Bellatrix. "I grew up here..."

"The Hermione you once were grew up here..." Bellatrix corrected her and placed her lips on Hermione's. The kiss was brief but intense. "That Hermione is long gone. I take it you know why we are here?"

Hermione nodded. "I do..." She began walking and turned around when she reached the gate leading out into the streets. Bellatrix had not followed. Her voice was loud and clear when she called for her. "Are you coming?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

_My eyes were made to erase all that is ugly.__  
__~Raoul Dufy_

She made her way effortlessly down the streets, turning left and then the next street right. She heard nothing. Silence was all there was and it was a strange sensation. Nowhere was ever completely silent. She could sense the imminent danger, the darkness, which was upon them. She walked past Muggle houses, each of which was dark. Muggles who were fast asleep, lost in a fantasy world of dreams, and whom had no idea they were about to die. Her heart pounded in her chest and she walked briskly, her hands pushed deeply into the pockets of her robe. She had pulled the hood over her head, obscuring her hair, but her face was still free. She held still when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Turning around she found Bellatrix approaching, her black robes billowing behind her with every step.

"In a hurry, are we?" she questioned when she reached the young brunette and she smirked. She wasn't even in the slightest out of breath though Hermione knew she had run to catch up.

"I just want to get there before any of the others do. I'd rather they didn't screw up and pick the wrong house" Hermione answered and began walking again. Bellatrix increased her pace to keep up with her and they walked side by side, to shadows in the night. More and more streetlamps died as they made their way down the Muggle road. "It's not like the Dark Lord assigned us the sharpest tools in the box, right?"

Bellatrix did not answer and simply followed Hermione. Eventually they reached a large detached house, half way down the street. Hermione held still and looked up to the house. The windows were dark and a large tree stood beside the path leading to the front door. She could hear the neighbours' dog barking and groaned. She had never been fond of the bloody animal. She shot a look at Bellatrix, who also look at the house.

"Not bad for a Muggle dump" Bellatrix said and shrugged. She pulled her hood back and shook her raven curls. Hermione watched for a moment and then did the same. "As far as Muggle houses go, I suppose.."

Hermione drew her wand from her sleeve, rolled it through her fingers for a second or two and then walked up the path leading towards the front door. It was as if her eyes glazed over. She knew there was a spare key hidden under the plant pot, but what good was a key when you had a wand? She heard Bellatrix closely behind her, could feel her warm breath in the back of her neck, and aimed her wand at the lock.

"Alohomora"

With a soft click the front door sprung open and Hermione pushed against it. It gave way and revealed the familiar hall. She stepped inside, allowing Bellatrix to brush past her. Her wife stepped into the living room, her eyes taking in the furniture, the pictures on the wall and the forgotten wine glass on the table. Hermione followed and found herself confronted with what had once been her home but no longer felt as such. She still remembered herself running round the table in this very room until she hit her head on the TV cabinet and fell to the floor, crying. Just as Bellatrix was about to brush the wine glass of the table, Hermione grasped her hand.

"Don't..." she whispered and Bellatrix turned to look at her. "You'll wake them..."

"That's exactly the point..." Bellatrix answered. "We want them to be awake..."

And the glass shattered on the wooden floor. Glass shattered across the room and Bellatrix cackled. The sound was sharp and within seconds, Hermione heard a pair of footsteps upstairs. Her heart hammered in her chest and she turned towards the door and aimed her wand. The stairs creaked as someone came down. From the heaviness of the steps she guessed it was John Granger. The man she had known as her father. The footsteps stalled just outside the door and Hermione took a sharp breath in. Bellatrix had wandered off into the kitchen and was randomly opening cupboards, removing jars and mugs and what seemed like bags of pasta, curiously inspecting every item as if she had never seen such things before. Hermione briefly wondered if Bellatrix had indeed never come across pasta before...

The door to the living room opened to its full extent and Hermione stared up into the face of John Granger. His face was illuminated by the tip of her wand and he froze in his tracks when his eyes fell on the person standing in front of him. She guessed he had expected to find a burglar, who would run off as soon as he saw them, but now he stared at his estranged daughter, aiming her wand at his chest.

"Hermione..." John breathed and took a step in her direction. Hermione stepped back and raised her wand to chest level. Instantly John froze and his gaze dropped to the wand in his daughter's hand. His voice was shaky but he wasn't quite afraid. "Hermione, what are you doing? Put that away! And why are you not in school?"

"I haven't been in school for quite some time..." Hermione said and shrugged, casting a glance over her shoulder to Bellatrix in the kitchen. She had now opened the fridge and sniffed at a bottle of coke. "And I am not Hermione either..."

"John?" It was Karen's voice coming from upstairs and when there was no answer coming from her husband, she descended down the stairs. A minute or two later she too appeared in the doorway and found her daughter standing in the middle of the room, her wand aimed at her father. Karen's eyes widened and she grasped firm hold of the doorframe. Tears welled up in her eyes. "_Hermione_?"

"Hello..." Hermione said simply and looked from Karen to John and back. Bellatrix had left the kitchen and reached Hermione, placing a kiss somewhere in her neck before looking up. John seemed horrified and he stared at Bellatrix. She stared back. Her gaze was far more intense than his and he eventually averted his eyes, causing Bellatrix to giggle. She ran her fingers down Hermione's neck and the young witch leant back into her touch.

"What is this? What are you...?" Karen began, her eyes following Bellatrix as she touched Hermione. Karen's face hardened and she stared at her teenage daughter, having registered how she yielded her wand. The tone of her voice was that of a mother ordering their child to stop their behaviour and start acting sensibly. "Hermione Jean Granger, do explain yourself!"

"My name is not Hermione Granger" Hermione calmly answered and her parents stared at her, puzzled. Bellatrix had sat herself down on the sofa, casually stretched out and she watched the scene unfold before her eyes with a satisfied smirk on her face. Hermione's face was blank. "I was born Eris Drakos, though these days I am known as Hermione Black"

"You are our daughter, Hermione. We raised you. We changed your nappies, put clothes on your back and food in your belly!" John argued and he couldn't help but raise his voice. Hermione recognised the throbbing vein on his forehead as a clear sign of anger. She had seen it many times throughout her life. John seemed furious and placed a protective hand on Karen's shoulder. "And do not speak to your mother in such a tone!"

Hermione scoffed. "She is not my mother..." Her eyes pierced into the ones of John Granger. His wife was now silently sobbing. Tears trickled down her face. "And you are not my father..."

"HERMIONE GRANGER..." John began but Hermione cut him off.

"STOP calling me that..." she stepped towards him and placed the tip of her wand against his chest. She stepped back but Hermione followed and pressed a little firmer into his body. "I said I am not Hermione Granger! You and your wife are Muggles who adopted me when I was an infant. Your memories were modified so that you believed I was your real daughter!" Her voice was harsh and Karen's sobs only grew louder. Hermione shot her an irritated look. "Stop it, woman!"

"Karen..." John whispered and now enveloped her into his arms. Karen's sobs were now smothered by her husband's body and he stroked her hair. Hermione turned her back on them, feeling slightly revolted and walked towards the sofa and looked at Bellatrix. The raven haired woman flicked her wand and the door slammed shut behind Karen and John. Hermione heard the sound of a lock turning.

"Told you they'd take it well..." she smirked sarcastically and pulled a face. Bellatrix reached out a hand and Hermione took it. She smiled and cherished the wedding ring on Bellatrix's finger. "I wonder what they'd say if I told them I am married to you..."

"What?" asked Karen with a smothered voice and Hermione turned around. Karen had broken out of her husband's embrace and stared at the girl she had raised as her own but no longer knew. She was not sure whether to believe what Hermione had told her. Her bright eyes fixed on Hermione and tears still slipped down her face. "What did you just say?"

"Does it matter?" Hermione asked and laughed. It was a haunting laughter and it echoed off the walls, causing Bellatrix to cackle softly. "It's not like you will be able to anything about it. In fact, after tonight I doubt you pair will be able to do anything at all!" She aimed her wand and John instantly wrapped his arms back around his wife, functioning as a shield. Hermione laughed. How Muggles believed something as useless as a body could protect them from magic.

"Hermione..." John stammered...

"Hermione Granger is dead!" Hermione snapped and behind her Bellatrix stood up. She approached the brunette and snaked an arm around her waist, resting her head on her shoulder. Hermione smiled under the touch but did not avert her eyes from Karen and John. Both were now staring at her with obvious fear in their eyes. "She never even existed!"

"Muggles who think they can raise a pure blood..." Bellatrix whispered, her dark eyes now also fixed on the two other people in the room. Contempt filled her voice. "The disgrace..." She turned to Hermione and placed her warm lips against her ear. She kissed her softly. "Do it!"

"NO!" Karen cried and broke away from her husband. She closed the distance between her and Hermione and grasped the brunette's arm. Desperation had filled her eyes and she was still crying. Her fingers clawed at Hermione's robes and she almost dropped to her knees in front of her. Hermione attempted to free her arm from Karen's grip. "You are our daughter! We raised you!"

"I am no child of yours!" Hermione said and roughly pushed Karen backwards. She staggered on her feet and lost her balance, landing harshly onto the wooden floor. There was a crack, followed by even louder sobs. Karen did not stand up and remained down on the floor, crying. John dropped to his knees beside his wife and attempted to comfort her. Karen's body was shaking violently and her sobs began louder. Blood was dripping out of her nose. It looked broken.

"She's beginning to irritate me..." Bellatrix sounded bored and drew her own wand. Hermione glanced at her but then grabbed her wife's wrist and forced her hand down. Bellatrix willingly let her and Hermione stepped towards John. He looked up as she approached and she recognised the same fear in his eyes she had seen the night she had killed the witch called Sara. She remembered the desperation in the eyes of the man who had suffered at the hands of Bellatrix. And a smile began to spread across her face when she aimed her wand.

"HERMIONE...NO!" John begged as he stared up to her. "Please, don't... Please..."

"Just two worthless Muggles..." Hermione whispered and she stretched out her arm. Her wand was now aimed at John. Gone were the vague memories of playing in the playground down the street. Gone were memories of running around this room, of spending countless hours with these people. Nothing else remained but the hollow eyes that stared back up to her. They were the eyes of a stranger. "That is all you are. It is time for the world to be rid of you all of you filthy scum..." Her voice became increasingly harsh.

"Please..."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The bright flash of green light hit John straight in the chest. His eyes widened and the realisation of death appeared in them. Then his body fell down to the ground and he lay still. The spark of life had been erased from his face. Beside him, Karen crawled towards him and threw herself onto his dead body. Her body trembled and shook. Her cries and wails only became louder and she sobbed as she clutched at her husband's shirt. The blood from her nose seeped into his clothes.

"Put an end to it!" Bellatrix, whom had become increasingly irritated by the sound of Karen crying, shrieked and Hermione did not even flinch when she took aim again. As she opened her mouth and the worlds rolled from her tongue, Karen turned her head and looked at her. Their gazes locked. Karen's eyes, riddled with tears and the realisation she was about to die, looked up into the face of the daughter she had once known but who had become a monster.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Karen's lifeless body slumped down over that of her husband, her hand still resting on his chest. Her eyes were wide open and a single, lonely tear trickled down her cheek.

Hermione was panting slightly and took in a deep breath to calm the madness in her chest. She turned to look at Bellatrix, who seemed more relaxed that silence surrounded them. The raven haired Death Eater wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist and kissed her low down on her neck. Hermione smiled under the kiss and leant back against Bellatrix's body. Bellatrix's hands began tracing the shape of Hermione's breasts under her robes and nibbles on her earlobe.

"Well done, my love..." she whispered huskily in her ear and moaned. "Let's go home..."

"What about the others?" Hermione questioned, thinking about the other Death Eaters who were roaming the streets outside. She could only guess how many Muggles they had killed tonight. There was no sign of Aurors. This time they had succeeded. They would not return as failures.

Bellatrix chuckled and took Hermione's hand. "They don't need us..." she paused to hungrily kiss Hermione. Neither of them once looked at the two lifeless bodies on the floor. When they broke apart, Bellatrix smiled. "And we don't need them..."

~()~

Hermione's naked body was covered in a thin layer of sweat and drops of blood trickled down the valley between breasts, down to her navel. It felt warm against her glowing flesh. It was a sharp contrast against the paleness of her skin. Fiery red scratches had appeared on her back, bite marks desecrated her shoulders, her chest and her arms. Bruises had appeared on freshly healed skin and a groan escaped from her throat as Bellatrix's teeth sank down into her most sensitive spot. Desperate fingers clutched the torn sheets of the beds until her knuckles turned white and her bones ached. She arched her back, desperatly pressing her body firmer against Bellatrix's. Her wife clawed the inside of her thigh so harshly she drew blood and it laced itself eagerly and easily with the dampness between her legs.

Hermione's heart hammered in her chest and her eyes rolled back into her head as her toes curled up and her muscles tightened. The pain was intense and she needed it. She needed its sharpness, its soothing comfort, to remind her. It spread through her blood like venom. She needed to feel. Her throat was dry as her lover's name rolled of her lips, over and over again. The pain was intoxicating. Every time she spoke her name, it felt as if a knife was stabbed into her heart. _Bella..._

She eventually collapsed against the pillows, panting over the release she had experienced. She lay still, without a single movement. The inside of her thighs felt slick and wet from her core and blood and the pain left her in a daze; like the high of a drug that was only slowly wearing off. Bellatrix's sharp nails scratched across her stomach as she made her way back up, eventually resting herself beside the brunette and nibbled on her collar bone.

"Some things can never be denied..." she whispered and she turned Hermione's face towards her. Distant eyes found hers and she curiously watched as Hermione slowly returned to her own self. It was as if her soul sunk back into her body. Recognition dawned in her young wife's arms and a smile spread across Bellatrix's lips. Hermione reached up and brushed a drop of blood from the corner of Bellatrix's mouth.

"You make me feel alive..." Hermione whispered. She felt tired. "Only you can make me feel anything..."

Bellatrix smiled at her words and carefully took Hermione into her arms. "I am proud of you, my love. You have truly proven yourself today. The Dark Lord..." she paused as Hermione took in a deep breath. Bellatrix warm lips cherished Hermione's sweat covered forehead. "You are the only true Ruler of Shadows. It is inevitable he shall suffer defeat at your hands..."

Hermione did not answer. Instead, her body curled up into a ball and rested against Bellatrix's. Her deep breathing betrayed she had fallen asleep and Bellatrix covered her with the sheets that had slipped off the beds. Hermione did not stir as she slipped out of the bed, dressed herself and left the room. She quickly made her way down the stairs and found her sister in the drawing room. It had been restored after the battle between Hermione and the Dark Lord. Narcissa sat by the fire and looked up when her sister rushed in. She arched an eyebrow at the sight of the dishevelled clothes, the unruly hair and the clear dried blood across her face and hands but she did not ask.

"Lucius never said..." she began as she stood up and approached her sister.

"We succeeded" Bellatrix answered simply and sank down into one of the chairs. Narcissa followed her example and they sat in amicable silence for a moment, staring into the flames.

"And the girls' parents?" Narcissa questioned softly.

"Dead" Bellatrix stated simply and looked at Narcissa through her dark eyelashes. "And they were not her parents, Cissy..."

Narcissa nodded and averted her eyes. "What happens now?"

Bellatrix sighed. "We wait..."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

_After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.  
~Albus Dumbledore_

According to Yaxley the Muggle police were baffled when they discovered the dead bodies of Karen and John Granger. When they did not open their dentist practice after the weekend, their assistant raised the alarm and police broke down the front door to enter the property, only find the two dentists on the living room floor, their bodies showing the first signs of decomposition. It was the beginning of a discovery that horrified the whole town. Throughout the street in which Karen and John Granger lived, and the neighbouring streets, police discovered more than fifteen bodies in three days. Not a single one of them bore any sign of a struggle or a fight. Front doors were still locked, windows closed and many of them had never even left their beds. The general answer to what had happened to them was carbon monoxide poisoning, but it was not something the remaining neighbours accepted. When the police had left and areas were no longer cordoned off, the neighbours gathered and the stories about conspiracies and murder were discussed over cups of tea and pints of lager.

Rain lashed violently against the library window and Hermione looked up from a discarded edition of the Daily Prophet, left behind this morning by either Narcissa or Bellatrix. It mentioned the slaughter of the Muggles and the Ministry's concern the deaths were related to the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. Muggle police officers had of course not recognised the signs of Dark magic, but the Aurors had. They were calling it a mass murder. Hermione called it a sacrifice for the greater good. She left the paper on the side table and approached the window. Thick, black clouds had gathered in the sky and the occasional flash of lightning made the room bathe in yellow light.

The door swung open and Bellatrix appeared. Even in the dimly lit room Hermione could see how her charcoal eyes flickered and the raven haired woman caught Hermione's gaze. "It is time..."

Hermione nodded. "Very well..." She turned away from the window and walked towards the door. When she reached Bellatrix she held still and cocked her head. "I know it is only I who can do this but why are we still listening to him, Bella? Surely by now he knows of our betrayal... And yet we still answer every call..."

"Because we cannot manage on our own...As much as he cannot manage without you. And that is his weakness but it is not yours..." Bellatrix answered and her nails grazed Hermione's cheek. "And of course he knows of our betrayal. But he rather holds your betrayal than nothing at all. He shall be watching you tonight. He knows it is not only the loyalty to him you hold... Soon, my love, you shall not need a single soul in this world. The future is about to change..."

Hermione leant in and her lips captured Bellatrix's. She moaned softly into the kiss as the female Death Eater grasped firm hold of strands of brown hair, pulling her further in. Hermione's arms snaked around Bellatrix's neck and she bit down on the older woman's lower lip, drawing the sweet taste of her blood. She lapsed the poison up with her tongue and when they broke apart, a smile broke through on her face.

"I shall see you very soon, my love..." she whispered before moving past Bellatrix.

She made her way down the dark corridor and summoned her cloak from the upstairs bedroom as she did so. It landed neatly in her hands and she put it on, pulling the hood over her head to obscure her face. She rolled her wand through her fingers until she reached the front door. It swung open and revealed the pouring rain outside. Another lightening flash was followed by loud thunder. She glanced over her shoulder and in the brief split second of light Hermione discovered Narcissa standing on the marble staircase. Her hands rested on the banister and her blue eyes were fixed on Hermione. Darkness swallowed up her image and Hermione turned back towards the open door. She stepped outside, into the pouring rain and clutched her wand. Within seconds she was drenched. There was little need for magic to protect her now. She closed her eyes and called up the image from the depths of her mind. She felt the familiar sensation of Apparition wash over her and she turned on the spot, leaving Malfoy Manor behind.

When she reopened her eyes she had appeared at the bottom of the hill. The castle was a magnificent sighting against the dark backdrop. Every window was illuminated by yellow candle light. Hermione felt a sting of envy laced with anger as she began walking her way up the hill, careful to remain hidden in the shadows between the trees. By now she was soaked and the rain just kept pouring down. Her heart hammered in her chest, louder with every step she took. About fifty yards from the large metal gates that blocked the entrance to the castle grounds, Hermione turned a sharp right and began to make her way through the trees towards the lights of Hogsmeade village. She suspected the teachers had blocked her only entrance into the castle, via the Shrieking Shack, but she would deal with that when it came to it.

As she walked through the forest she felt as safe as she could possibly be. Since she had left Hogwarts, the teachers had surely figured out to whom she had pledged her allegiance. But they had no idea who she really was, and what she was destined to be. As she walked the raindrops seeped out of her curls and down her face. She remembered the times she had spent inside the castle. The nights she had spent laughing with Pansy, Draco and Blaise, the classes she had shared with them. They had been her friends once. And they were still inside the castle, probably in the common room. She imagined them doing their homework or playing Wizard Chess, or just gossiping by the fireplace. With every step that brought her closer to the Shrieking Shack, another memory emerged. She remembered spending afternoons sitting on the beach of the Black Lake, talking to Pansy.

Hermione held still when she reached the narrow footpath leading up to the Shrieking Shack. Its windows were dark and someone had replaced the door. In the distance she could hear an owl rasp. She took a deep breath and walked up the path. She drew her wand from her sleeve and when she reached the front door she rested her ear against it to hear if there were any footsteps inside. Only silence greeted her and she flicked her wand, whispering "Alohomora"

The lock clicked and the door opened, revealing nothing but darkness. Hermione softly placed the tip of her wand inside the open door, her heart suddenly freezing in her chest, and breathed "Homenum Revelio"

Nothing happened.

Satisfied she was indeed alone, she stepped inside and sighed now that she was no longer battered by the heavy rain. She brushed the stray drops from the bridge of her nose. The tip of her wand began to glow after she whispered "Lumos" and it cast a silvery gloom across the dark room. It looked exactly like she had left it. It was still as much as a mess as before. The four poster bed looked as dishevelled, the broken windows had not been fixed, the cracked floorboards still creaked under her boots and the destroyed dresser and chest of drawers had not changed. With quick steps Hermione approached the hatch that provided access to the tunnel leading into Hogwarts grounds and she briefly peered down into the blackness as if she expected a teacher or Auror to waiting right underneath. There was nothing there and she lowered herself into the darkness. Tonight was not the night to allow fear to control her and when her feet touched the damp ground she began walking.

"Nox"

All that surrounded her now was darkness and her eyes quickly adapted. She was so used to moving through the night that her eyes needed little time to get used to the changed surroundings. Her footsteps were muffled by the damp soil. The tunnel seemed longer than she remembered and it felt like an eternity before she reached the end of it. She could hear the heavy rain before she saw it and she immediately noticed the Whomping Willow was moving. Its branches obscured a large part of the exit and she groaned. She aimed and seconds later the tree froze. She did not lower her wand and slowly approached the exit of the tunnel. As she emerged and felt the heavy rain batter her once again, she instantly became aware of the figure emerging from beside the Whomping Willow.

"Good evening Miss Granger..."

Hermione spun around. She recognised the Scottish lilt instantly and in the silver beam of light she watched as Professor Minerva McGonagall emerged from the darkness, her wand aimed at Hermione's chest.

"Hello, Professor" Hermione said stiffly.

"We thought you'd come back eventually..." said Professor McGonagall slowly. Her green eyes were lit up by the beam of light from her own wand and she looked at Hermione over the rim of her glasses. She was dressed in black robes and seemed untouched by the heavy rain. "Whatever reasons you might have to enter this castle tonight, Miss Granger, I cannot allow you to come back..."

"I didn't think I had to ask for permission" Hermione cynically answered and laughed, throwing back her head in a similar manner as Bellatrix. The sound of her laughter echoed through the night, sending an unexpected shiver down Minerva McGonagall's spine. It was a cold and hollow laughter. "Do you really think something as meaningless as _permission_ is going to stop me? Nothing is going to stop me..."

Minerva McGonagall seemed shocked. Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes fixed on Hermione's face. She barely recognised the girl in front of her. Nothing about her reminded her of the young Slytherin she had seen in her classes. Her physical appearance had changed and she seemed older and darker. "The Dark Lord has accepted a Muggle born in his midst?" Confusion laced her voice.

"A _Mudblood_?" Hermione cackled and ignored how her former teacher flinched at the offensive word. "There is no place for Mudbloods in this new world, my dear Professor. Surely by now you have observed the changes as they happen. Mudbloods await the same fate as those Muggles who have been found murdered in their own beds. Filthy blood shall poison the surface of the Earth until only those purest are left..."

"The Hermione Granger I knew was a girl born to Muggle parents, who ended up being sorted into Slytherin. An unfortunate choice of fate..." Minerva McGonagall said, her eyes still fixed on Hermione's eyes. She watched in horror how hazel eyes instantly darkened and glistened with something she could only describe as blood lust.

"Hermione Granger is dead. She never even existed" Hermione simply answered and she arched an eyebrow. "The only heir to the Drakos estate has found her rightful place... The child born out of their union is not a mere rumour. It is very much real. I am real. And my parents' beliefs are, as I understand, common knowledge?"

"_Impossible._.." Minerva breathed as she stared at Hermione in disbelief. "We believed the child to be a rumour. An empty crib was found but never a trace of the supposed child. The Ministry searched and could not find her. As the months went on they too believed it was a tale spread by the Dark Lord to keep alive a sense of fear. Never once did anyone believe she was real. They believed the Prophecy was a fake, for no one had ever heard its true words. It was forgotten in time and became a legend"

"Oh the Prophecy is very much real, Professor" Hermione smirked and casually rolled her wand through her fingers. Minerva's gaze dropped to Hermione's hands. Minerva's eyes narrowed when she discovered the golden wedding band on Hermione's finger. "And if you claim to know the words, you know you are no match for me tonight. Not even the Dark Lord himself was successful in his attempt to kill me. What makes you think your chances are any different?" She looked up, as did Minerva and their gazes locked. "The future is about to change. For everyone..."

She took aim before Minerva even had a chance to break the eye contact. Hermione never looked away and watched the stunned expression spread across Minerva McGonagall's face as the spell hit her chest. The older witch's face lit up red for just a second and then she fell backwards, her body rigid and frozen. She landed on the soaking wet grass with a soft thud, her eyes still open. Her glasses had slipped from her nose and lay beside her head. Her wand had slipped from her fingers and Hermione picked it up. There was something extremely effective about a spell as simple as the Full Body Bind. It was about was effective as the Killing Curse, apart from the fact that those at the receiving end of that spell would never wake up again. She stored Minerva's wand up her sleeve and walked towards the castle without giving the former Transfiguration teacher a second look.

She reached the oak front doors and pushed against them. They gave way and she found herself standing in the Entrance Hall. It was quiet and she checked the magical cloak to the left of the doors leading to the Great Hall. It was after ten. Curfew had started. Any student who wandered the corridors now was in breach of school rules. Hermione lowered her hood, brushed the raindrops from her face and looked around. Her mission was clear. In order for Hogwarts to be invaded, the main obstacle had to be destroyed. And she was the only one who could find her way back into the castle without being noticed. She took a few deep breaths and then approached the Grand Staircase.

She had only just made it past the fourth floor when something furry stroked past her legs and Hermione looked down, groaning in irritation when she recognised Mrs Norris, the cat that belonged to caretaker Argus Filch. If the rotten beast was around it usually meant the Squib wasn't far away and Hermione quickly removed her cloak, revealing Slytherin school robes. If there was one thing to be said about Argus Filch it was that he was incredibly stupid. The thought had only just left her head when the sound of footsteps betrayed the arrival of another person. Hermione's fingers closed around her wand in the pocket of her robes and she slowly started walking again.

She had only taken a few steps when she found Filch walking towards her. His thin, greasy brown hair has been brushed back and was riddled with random strands of grey. Hermione watched as he shuffled towards her, his pale eyes already lighting up at the sight of her. She could only imagine how excited he got over the fact he could write up another student and send them to detention for breaking the rules.

"What are you doing out here after hours?" he growled when he reached her. He seemed to be wheezing even more than the last time Hermione saw him and she smirked at the thought he ought to perhaps just hang around on the lower floors. "I shall report you to..." His gaze dropped to the snake logo on her robes. "...Professor Snape in the morning..."

"You do that" Hermione answered with a polite smile and she immediately sensed his anger over her careless reaction. "I am sure Professor Snape will be delighted to hear you found me wandering around the castle after curfew. Just get back to filing your papers, you filthy Squib, and leave those of us who actually matter to do the hard work..."

Filch's eyes bulged out of his head even more than usual at her words and he reached out a bony, rheumatic hand in an attempt to grab her shoulder. Instead, Hermione grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards her. There was no need to use magic. Filch's feet were drawn from under him and with a sickening crack his head landed on the marble staircase, splitting his forehead, before his body tumbled over and began rolling down the steps. Hermione watched how Filch rolled down several steps before crashing into the marble barrier and coming to a rest in the corner. Blood trickled from the deep cut on his forehead and his body remained limp. She shrugged and continued her journey up. Someone would find him eventually.

She reached the seventh floor after having narrowly avoided an encounter with Peeves who was throwing toilet rolls down the stairs on the sixth floor and was accenting every throw with a rude word or a rude song. Hermione started down the long corridor and came to a halt when she reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. It was common knowledge that the Gryffindor common room was behind it. The painting was asleep and Hermione smirked to herself. Soon nobody would be sleeping here anymore. She continued her pace and turned the corner at the end of the corridor. There, at the end, stood the large gargoyle which marked the end of her journey. Hermione approached it, slowly drawing her wand again and took a deep breath. The gargoyle stirred and seemed to stretch, as if it was woken from a deep sleep.

"Password?" he croaked, sounding tired and grumpy. "And may I remind you that the Headmaster does not appreciate late night visits..."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "Passwords are for idiots..."

"That remains to be seen..." the gargoyle answered. "They can create safety..."

"False safety" Hermione retorted and aimed her wand. The gargoyle did not move though it almost seemed a taunting smirk appeared on its face. Hermione's face hardened and she hissed through her teeth: "Not even stone can stand between me and what I have come here to do... You _will_ move aside and let me in..."

"No one has ever dared to raise their wands at me" spoke the gargoyle calmly. "Many have stood before in aggression, demanding entrance. I have not bowed to any of them and I shall not bow to you..."

"How many of them blew you to pieces?" Hermione snapped and she stepped closer. Her blood rushed through her veins and her heart was hammering in her chest. She cocked her head slightly. Her wand was mere inches away from the gargoyle's head and she smiled in triumph. "Not even the strongest stone can withstand magic..."

The gargoyle remained rigid and Hermione rose to her full figure. "As you wish... BOMBARDA!"

With almighty blast the gargoyle was blown to pieces, revealing the stairway behind it. A large cloud of dust and debris filled the air and Hermione covered her face and coughed. For a few seconds she could not see anything. The explosion would be enough to startle some of the teachers, ghosts and not to mention the person she was supposed to find tonight. Once the dust began to clear she shot one glance down the still empty corridor and then jumped over the remainder of the gargoyle. She was covered in dust and began her journey up spiral stone staircase. She left the large gaping hole behind her and ignored how the stairs moved of their own accord and began sprinting up.

Eventually she reached the highly polished oak door. It had a brass knocker, shaped like a griffin. She hesitated briefly, considering knocking. She raised her wand and the door swung open after she muttered "Alohomora". It was surprisingly easy. Almost too easy. She had never been in the Headmaster's office before. The room was a circular shape with windows. In the middle of the room stood an enormous desk. The room was filled with books, rolls of parchment, quills, early editions of the Daily Prophet and ornaments of which Hermione had no clue for which they could be used. Some of them had such a frightening shape she seriously questioned whether they were considered Light or Dark magic.

"Miss Granger..." spoke the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore and Hermione spun around. The Hogwarts Headmaster came walking out of his office. To Hermione's surprise he did not carry his wand and a smile spread across her face. Yet she knew to be vigilant. Bellatrix had told her nothing about Albus Dumbledore was ever like it seemed. When he reached her he folded his arms cross his chest but his body posture was not defensive. "You could have just knocked..."

"Yeah well somehow I did not think you'd let me in..." Hermione answered with a smirk. She made no attempt to hide her wand. "And it is most urgent I see you tonight, _Headmaster_..."

"So I suspected" Dumbledore answered with a smile and he unfolded his arms to gesture towards his desk. "Now, why don't we sit down and you can explain to me what it is that brings you here at this late hour, Miss Granger"

Hermione didn't move and Dumbledore slightly raised his eyebrow. Hermione's face betrayed little emotion. "I think we both know why I came here tonight. And it doesn't require sitting down. Nor does it require silly conversation..." Her wand shot up, now aimed at Dumbledore's chest. Her mind could not get over the fact this was too easy. She swallowed and cocked her head in slight surprise. "You are willing to die?"

"You are not?" Dumbledore retorted and Hermione's fingers closed a little firmer around her wand. "Miss Granger..."

"Miss Drakos or Miss Black actually..." Hermione answered sharply and watched the recognition dawn in Dumbledore's eyes. Satisfaction spread across her face when she registered his confusion. His mistake had sunk in. And now there was no way out. Triumph flickered in Hermione's eyes. "Not everybody forgot about the_ other_ Prophecy, you see. The Prophecy that wasn't about the Boy Who Lived..." Dumbledore's face now truly displayed his failure and Hermione openly laughed. "You are a fool, Dumbledore. The threat has never been Potter!"

"...the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..." Dumbledore spoke softly, once again taking in the true meaning of those words. "We all believed it was Harry. We all believed he was the one who'd have to kill Voldemort. No one thought about the other child. The one with the power to even let Darkness fear its own reign..."

Hermione grinned without ever lowering her wand or showing a flicker of hesitation. "Dear old McGonagall said that no one believed it to be true that there was such a child. Another Chosen One. One that contradicts everything you hold so dear. Who defies not only the Dark Lord but also the Potter boy... Who can overpower all who have come before..." She took a sharp breath in. "You were too focused on Potter to realize how an apparent Mudblood slipped into Slytherin house. No one once asked questions. It was forgotten. A mistake, perhaps. But we all know the Hat does not make mistakes, Dumbledore. The Hat was quite right..."

"There we two..." Dumbledore said and he walked past Hermione without even looking at her. He approached his desk and began rummaging through pieces of parchment. Hermione watched in confusion how Dumbledore muttered to himself. He seemed almost oblivious to the fact she still aimed his wand at him. "Like Harry, there we two. For awhile, no one was sure who The One was. It was him or the Longbottom child. Not until the night the Potters died. But up till that moment there were two boys who could have been..." He looked up, once again registering Hermione's wand. "And there were two girls two whom the other Prophecy fitted. If one had listened carefully..."

"Two?" Hermione asked with curiosity. "Surely there was not another Mudblood who got placed into Slytherin? No one ever knew of another..."

"Please do not use that offensive word in front of me" Even in this moment of peril Dumbledore still held on to his manners. He peered over his half moon spectacles and his gaze connected with Hermione's. He had realized he told her something she had not known. "Oh yes, Miss Granger, there were two that very day you arrived. You and Miss Parkinson, I believe..."

"I thought no one knew about the Prophecy..." Hermione began but the rest of the words died on her lips. A frown appeared on her face. "Wait... Pansy is a pure blood. The Parkinson's are a pureblood family. They go back generations. Pansy's father was a witness as Lucius and Narcissa's wedding..."

Dumbledore shook his head. "If I am not mistaken Miss Parkinson told you she was adopted as an infant? She was found wrapped in a bundle of blankets outside St Mungo's, no more than a week old. Since she was outside a Wizarding Hospital, many assumed she had to be a magical child. And she was indeed, as Healers detected magic on her almost immediately. But her parents were traced a year ago. By coincidence. They were Muggles... Miss Parkinson doesn't know, of course..."

"A Mudblood..." Hermione hissed contemptuously and shook her head. She regained her posture and suddenly realized there were footsteps coming from down the stone staircase. People were approaching. Voices echoed off the walls and it would not be long before Dumbledore's office would be full of teachers. She had little time left to finish what she had come to do. "Well, not that it changes anything. A Mudblood could never be related to the Prophecy..."

She aimed her wand at Dumbledore's chest once more and her eyes narrowed. "You know there is no other option left for me. For the Prophecy to be fulfilled, you have to die..."

"I counted on that" Dumbledore answered and pointed at his desk. His wand lay before him, untouched. The footsteps rapidly came closer and Hermione recognized the voice of Minerva McGonagall. She swore under her breath and wished she had killed the Scottish woman when she had the chance. Dumbledore noticed her frustration. "Miss Granger, are you really considering murdering an unarmed old man?"

Hermione shrugged. "I have watched too many die to care whether one is armed or not. I merely care about the future. You, of all people, should know, Dumbledore. You know that after tonight your precious school will be open for everybody... We will come and destroy everything you hold most dear. With you, the protection of Hogwarts dies too..."

"I know the full extent of the Prophecy, Miss Granger. The Seer who made it to Voldemort did not only make it to him. It was made to me first. What did he tell you? That she was some foreign witch whom no one had ever heard of? Because that is what I told her to tell him when their paths crossed. I admit, I failed to keep an eye on the Prophecy she made about you. I focused too much on Harry instead and with that mistake I must live. The consequences we can feel and see here tonight. But you see, the Prophecy made about Harry was made by one of the teachers in this castle..." Hermione frowned and Dumbledore nodded. "Oh yes, Sybil Trelawney made two Prophecies..."

"Sybil Trelawney can't even predict tomorrow's weather!" Hermione interjected. "Let alone that she can predict the future..."

"Oh but she can. Not very often, I dare say. And definitely not when under the influence of cooking sherry but Sybil Trelawney holds a gift nonetheless..." Dumbledore answered and his blue eyes briefly snapped in the direction of the door. Footsteps sounded like they were about half way up. "They will be here soon, Miss Granger. There is little time left. I know it is useless to try and talk you out of this. It is not Lord Voldemort you serve..."

Hermione laughed. "It will be him who serves me..."

Dumbledore gave her a nod and Hermione flicked her wand. The curse rolled of her lips with ease and a sense of gratification. She watched in amusement how the green flash of light struck Dumbledore square in the chest. He never once reached for his wand. His arms hung beside his body, in a gesture that almost seemed to symbolize he was prepared to die. If he foolishly believed he had died to serve Harry's journey to defy Voldemort, he had just died in vain, Hermione thought. She watched Dumbledore's old body tumble to the floor, wiping some parchment of his desk as it landed. The glasses slipped off his nose and blue eyes instantly glazed over. Life was gone.

It was when his body crashed to the ground that the sharp, highpitched sound of glass against something hard made her look back as she was about to turn away from Dumbledore's dead body. Dumbledore's hand lay stretched out, in a final attempt to reach out to something nobody could see, but Hermione's eyes were suddenly drawn to the glistening phial at his side. It had slipped out of his pocket as he fell. It looked fragile and its content shimmered in the dim light of the room. She quickly bent down, scooped it up and only needed a second to realise what it was she was looking at. Inside the bottle was a silvery fluid and as she held it up to eye level, a smile began to spread across her face. Her fingers closed securely around the phial and she slipped it into her pocket. There was a reason why Dumbledore had held on to this and she would find out that reason very soon.

She spun around when behind her footsteps came to an abrupt halt. But it was not the sight of Minerva McGonagall, followed by Severus Snape and Fillius Flitwick that made Hermione smile. It was the instant realization that every protection surrounding Hogwarts had instantly disappeared. And as Minerva covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of Dumbledore's still body, Hermione merely locked eyes with Severus Snape. Their looks had crossed before and she casually shrugged. He only answered her gaze, his face emotionless as ever.

And with that, Hermione called up the familiar image of Malfoy Manor and turned on the spot. Hogwarts' only protection had fallen and as she Disapparated she knew that from this hour, this very moment, everything lay in her own hands. When she arrived outside the Manor, Bellatrix stood in the open door. When she saw Hermione appear, she strode towards her and her eyes widened when Hermione took the phial from her pocket and showed it to Bellatrix. The raven haired Death Eater's charcoal eyes narrowed and then she looked at Hermione. The young brunette looked back at her. She held up the phial containing Dumbledore's memory.

"Is there somewhere we can look at this?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16**

_Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure. ~  
~Ambrose Bierce_

The Manor was full of excitement and raised voices. Cloaked shadows had appeared within minutes of her return and now many of them filled the drawing room. The long table stood in the middle, surrounded by chairs. All of them were taken. Many others leant against walls. Hermione's eyes drifted across the room as she took in the masse of the Dark Lord's loyal followers. Never before had so many been present in the same room. She sat beside Bellatrix at the end of the table. Narcissa sat at her sister's other side. Lucius sat closer to the Dark Lord. No longer were the seats nearest to the Dark Lord reserved for Hermione and Bellatrix. She had seen the dark glares from the others when she took her place beside her wife. She knew what they were thinking. She had killed Albus Dumbledore and yet the Dark Lord did not allow her near him. She had done what he had failed to accomplish for so long and yet he did not trust her. Hermione knew why. She knew that after tonight they would face each other in the battle of ultimate power. It was between her and the Dark Lord now.

"My friends..." began the Dark Lord and the whispering voices died out. Silence fell over them and the room filled with a sense of anticipation. "Tonight the world has changed. Albus Dumbledore is dead. One of the greatest wizards this world has ever known..." Someone snorted contemptuously halfway down the table. "...is no more. The protections of Hogwarts castle have fallen. The final fortress is now ours for the taking. However, I expect the Order of the Phoenix will have already arrived at the school. Many will have sought refuge..."

"Are we going to attack, My Lord?" Dawlish asked, failing to hide his excitement about finally invading the castle that housed so many Mudbloods. A few others let out approving laughs and the Dark Lord's fiery red eyes snapped into the man's direction.

"Oh yes, Dawlish. We shall make Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry crumble..." he spoke. His tongue protruded from his mouth after every other word and in the dim light of the fire his skin seemed to glow. Hermione's eyes were fixed on the table. She and Bellatrix were perhaps the only two not looking at him. Their minds were elsewhere. The Dark Lord's high pitched voice spoke again, once more addressing those present in the room. "But, before we leave, I must ask of you a test, my friends. A pledge of true loyalty..."

Hermione's head whipped up and hazel eyes snapped in the Dark Lord's direction. His eyes had fixed on her and she met his gaze without a hint of fear. Beside her, Bellatrix fumbled with the sleeve of her wand in an attempt to draw her wand but Narcissa's fingers closed around her sister's wrist.

"My Lord?" spoke the slightly croaky voice of Lucius Malfoy. Hermione could not suppress a smirk. Everybody knew Lucius was a failure. He would be the first to speak of his allegiance to the Dark Lord but the last to make a bond of loyalty with him. His weakness had not remained unnoticed and had made him the subject of whispered ridicule amongst many of the Death Eaters seated around the table. Something Lucius loathed. Status and prestige was everything. He could not bear the thought of failure.

"There are those among you who have chosen a different path..." answered the Dark Lord, ignoring the pathetic look Lucius sent him. A whisper of outrage rose from the table and filled the room for a few seconds before the Dark Lord's bony hand ordered their silence. "Some time ago we were all made aware the sole heir of Kharon and Malinda Drakos had returned. She sits before you tonight, her blood purer than that of many others in this room..."

Hermione straightened her spine and met the piercing gazes with intense loathing. She despised all of them. These rats who cowered at the feet of the Dark Lord were as unworthy to carry a wand as those Mudblood children at Hogwarts. The blood in their veins was far less pure than hers, their willpower but a fragment of her strength and their magic was nothing when up against her skill. They would crumble and die at her feet before a single spell had left their lips. She knew their weaknesses. She knew that tonight they were only here because they feared death even more. Fear brought them here, fear would send them out into the night and fear would make them kill those unworthy of a wand. Not the surge for absolute power but cowardice weakness.

"There was a Prophecy..." the Dark Lord continued and someone whispered 'Harry Potter'. The Dark Lord paused his words, as if to register what was said. "Oh yes, the Potter boy. His Prophecy states neither can live whilst the other survives. One of us will have to kill the other. But it is the _other_ Prophecy, my friends, that proves to be the real danger... A prophecy of which only very few know its exact words..."

Hermione could sense Bellatrix's muscles tighten. Bellatrix's rage was well known amongst the Death Eaters. Her tantrums had left the Manor shattered many times and had caused more deaths than intended. Hermione shot her a warning look and met blazing charcoal eyes. Bellatrix's anger boiled under the surface and Hermione prayed her wife could restrain herself long enough. If Bellatrix would allow her anger to control her at the wrong moment, everything would be lost.

"It speaks of an heir born to those purest of blood, who will be destined to become the new Ruler of Shadows..." the Dark Lord said. Silence lingered around them. Nobody spoke. Dozens of eyes were fixed on their Master. "But for them to truly gain the most strongest of powers, all of those in their way must be eradicated. Albus Dumbledore was but a small player in the game. Oh his magic was great but he served merely as Potter's protection against the Prophecy made about him. His magic would never have stopped the Ruler of Shadows but could have caused some slight trouble. His death brings mayhem to the Order and leaves vulnerable a word full of unworthy Mudbloods, half breeds and other beasts..."

"What about Potter?" asked Yaxley.

Hermione was surprised the pieces of the puzzle had not begun to fall into place to those around her. For a moment she wondered if the idiots in this room believed the Prophecy spoke of the Dark Lord as the Ruler of Shadows. She leant back in her chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was a clear sign of rejection.

"Potter is nothing" answered the Dark Lord. Excitement began to lace his words. "He must die. The Prophecy about us is specific. However, the Prophecy relating to the Ruler of Shadows tells a tale more gruesome. They are to defy the one in true power. They have to face he who stands last. Potter is a mere child without protection. He shall never overcome. After tonight he will lie dead at my feet. But it is the other Chosen One who will then rise and face the one who killed the Boy Who Died..."

"Surely not..." Lucius' eyes had suddenly snapped in Hermione's direction and she met his gaze with a smirk. Her body language alone defied the Dark Lord and she sat up in her chair. Lucius' eyes focused on the Dark Lord and he seemed to be the first to piece the parts together. "Miss Granger..."

"Miss Black" Hermione sharply reminded him and others around the table gasped. The bonding between Bellatrix and Hermione had been a secret to many and now they realised what had taken place the surprise was clearly visible on their faces. Hermione couldn't suppress a smile but was stopped from speaking when the Dark Lord's voice once again filled the drawing room.

"The Chosen One is destined to defy me. Only in a battle of life and death can the true Ruler of Shadows be established. And Lucius, my slithery friend, you are quite right. Miss Black is indeed the Chosen One. She sits among us tonight as a betrayer to our cause. She is a betrayer to us all. If you were to leave for Hogwarts tonight she will not fight at your side. She will rejoice over your deaths..." The Dark Lord's voice was venomous and Hermione watched how around the table various wands were drawn. Yet she did not move. "However, we needed her. She was the only one to gain access to the castle unnoticed. Only she could kill Dumbledore... However, there is no need for her anymore..."

Hermione cackled and stood up from her chair. It landed on the wooden floor, bouncing backwards once or twice. "You are a foolish, My Lord. And you have trained your pets well. See, they are ready to die for every word you speak to them. They will vanish like shadows in the night to spill the blood that has poisoned our world. But they have not seen the true weakness in you. The lie that is _you_, My Lord..."

She spoke gracefully, respectfully, though her words were everything but kind and forgiven. She cocked her head when she registered his blank expression. Incapable of emotions, the Dark Lord merely stared at her as if she were an interesting specimen he had never encountered before. His fiery eyes were no longer blazing and he seemed strangely calm. Hermione knew better than to trust appearance.

"There is a truth about you others do not know..." Hermione spoke slowly. Her voice had almost been reduced to a slow hissing noise and she closely observed the changes in the Dark Lord's eyes. Her hazel eyes then slowly drifted across the table. "It merely reminds me how foolish many of you have been; to trust a man just for the words he speaks. How has he ever proven to you his blood is pure? For his blood is tainted! Tainted with mud! His mother was indeed the heir of Slytherin, but his father was a filthy Muggle!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green jet shot past her and hit the furthest wall instead. Brick crumbled and a cloud of dust filled the room. People jumped out of their chairs and cowered away to the corners of the room. Bellatrix was one of the few who had remained seated. Narcissa had not moved. The Dark Lord had risen from his chair and his wand was aimed at Hermione. Red eyes were blazing and anger contorted his face. It was the one thing Hermione knew he would feel. Anger. Hatred. Revulsion.

"Do not stand before me and claim to speak the truth" Hermione spoke without a single attempt to draw her own wand. "I have stood in your presence too long to know you are a skilled liar, My Lord. But your weakness is your lies. The blood in your veins is as unworthy as those you wish dead tonight. Perhaps it has surprised you I learnt the truth but Albus Dumbledore has his uses..."

From the pocket of her robe she took a small phial. It contained a silvery strand and it glistened in the darkened room. The Dark Lord's red eyes narrowed until there was hardly any colour left and Hermione grinned. She had picked up the phial in a split second in Dumbledore's office, unaware of its content. "It rolled out of his pocket as he lay dead at my feet. He must have kept it for that final moment, knowing death was upon him..."

"LIES!" cried the Dark Lord and another green jet of light shot in Hermione's direction. A strong Shield Charm deflected it and it crashed into another wall. Narcissa and Bellatrix had now both stood up and had drawn their wands. Their combined Shield Charm was intense and Hermione smirked as the Dark Lord cried in humiliation and defeat. None of his Death Eaters attempted to step into the line of fire. Lucius, now his most trusted lieutenant, stood against the nearest wall. His grey eyes were fixed upon the wizard he called his Master.

"Hogwarts is the final triumph..." Hermione smiled as she drew her wand though she did not cast a spell. She gave the Dark Lord a curt nod and Bellatrix and Narcissa lowered their wands, ending their Shield Charm. Hermione's eyes locked with the fiery red gaze of the Dark Lord. "We shall face each other there. As equals...Until then, My Lord...The Prophecy has chosen tonight for its destiny. Death shall be friend to one and the enemy to another..."

~()~

Hermione Apparated outside the caste's gates and found Bellatrix and Narcissa appearing at her sides. Both witches had drawn their wands. Around them more shadows appeared, shooting off towards the castle without hesitation. Mayhem was upon them and tonight death would choose who won. Hermione turned to look at Bellatrix and the raven haired woman grasped her hand. There was something manic and deranged about Bellatrix's expression.

"Foolish child..." she hissed and her lips came close to Hermione's. Hermione could feel Bellatrix's hot breath against her flesh and it sent a sharp sense of intense longing straight to her core. "He shall look to kill both you and Potter..."

"The Prophecy states the Dark Lord must be the one to kill Potter. If he dies at the hands of another, the Prophecy is broken and the Dark Lord is left with nothing..." Hermione reminded her wife and smiled. Bellatrix's hands cupped the side of Hermione's cheek. Nails scratched her skin. Pure hatred had ignited in her eyes. Behind them the first sounds of spells crashing into brick walls and shattering glass filled the night. Voices echoed through the darkness and flames erupted behind a third floor window. The battle had started. "I will find Potter. The Dark Lord has always insisted the boy is not to be harmed. He wants to finish him himself..."

"We must hurry..." Narcissa urged and Bellatrix let go of Hermione. The three of them began running towards the castle. The grounds were riddled with shadows and faces they couldn't quite see. From the fierce battles fought around them Hermione could tell the Order of the Phoenix had arrived. They were all that stood between her and Harry Potter. The oak front doors were widen open. One had been blown half its hinges and wood splinters littered the floor. Once inside the sounds of spells and voices echoed off the walls and Hermione took a second to look around. She found Dolohov battling what looked three Gryffindor students and she left them to it. They seemed to be winning. Her concern was not the live of the Death Eaters. Her eyes found Bellatrix's.

"The Gryffindor common room is on the seventh floor. I doubt Potter is still there but it is our best start. If he is being the hero he desires to be, he will not have left the castle. The cared too much for the old fool not to want to revenge his death. He will be waiting for the Dark Lord..." Hermione said, her brain suddenly going back into student mode and fitting pieces together. "If you find Potter, bring him to me. Do not harm him anymore than necessary..." Bellatrix nodded and she and Narcissa were about to shoot off when Hermione called them back. "And Bella, at least _try_ to keep him alive..."

Bellatrix grinned and then she and her sister ran up the Grand Staircase and Hermione watched them leave. She dodged a random spell that had shot off course and turned to make her way to the Great Hall. Its doors were open and the four house tables had been blown aside. The Hufflepuff table had been snapped in two. Hundreds of goblets littered the floor and the magically floated candles had all been snuffed out, filling the room with a thin cloud of smoke. Hermione stepped inside, her wand drawn, and looked around. She had little idea where she would find Potter. But their paths would cross and only destiny could decide what happened next.

She wandered between the tables and kicked goblets and cutlery aside. Not too long ago she sat at one of these tables, laughed and joked with students she had once believed to be her friends. Friendship was for the weak hearted, she had learnt. She turned when at the sound of hurried footsteps and found two people running into the Great Hall. Both were wearing Slytherin uniforms and she immediately recognised Draco Malfoy's silvery blonde hair. She had not seen him since she left and now that he turned towards her and the dull moonlight lit up his face she was reminded of how much he looked like his father. But he had Narcissa's eyes. His face lost what little colour it had left when he discovered Hermione in the middle of the devastation.

"Hello Draco..." Hermione smiled. "What brings you out here tonight?"

He did not answer. It was only then that Hermione's eyes were drawn to the second person and she narrowed her eyes when she discovered Pansy. She stood beside Draco, her wand aimed at Hermione's chest like she had done once in the past. There were dark rings under her eyes and Hermione could tell she was tired. The girl who had once been her best friend looked like a ghost.

"Hermione..." Pansy breathed and shot a look over her shoulder. There was a fierce battle erupting in the Entrance Hall between several students and two Death Eaters. "What... what are you doing here?"

"I've come to join the party" Hermione answered sarcastically and shook her head, rolling her wand through her fingers. "Merlin, Pansy... look around, what does it look like I am doing here?"

"They said you..." Pansy began but her voice trailed off.

"What? That I killed Dumbledore? I'd hoped they'd say that..." Hermione grinned and casually flicked her wand. A stunning spell shot past her two former classmates into the Entrance Hall and seconds later she watched one of the Death Eaters slump the ground. She smirked and looked back at her former friends, who seemed horrified. Hermione's eyes fixed on Draco. "Draco, if you're looking for your mum and your aunt... they're on the seventh floor. If you're looking for your dad, I wouldn't bother..."

He turned on his heels and shot off. Hermione didn't know which of his parents he had gone to look for and in this moment in time she didn't care. It was just her and Pansy now and she took a few steps in her old friends' direction. She could sense Pansy's fear and she tried to smile. "Now now, nothing to worry about, is there? I mean, it's not like I came here to kill you. We're friends, remember?"

"Some friend you are..." Pansy sneered and Hermione pulled a face of mock hurt. "You are a fucking killer, Hermione! I don't even know who you are!"

"That's rich, coming from you, you filthy little Mudblood!" Hermione retorted sharply and Pansy's face was instantly drained from its colour. "Dumbledore never did get around to telling you, did he? They found your real parents last year. Muggles, they were. Imagine the embarrassment. A real Mudblood sorted into Slytherin..." She paused to take in the expression on Pansy's face and smirked.

Pansy was lost for words and Hermione took this moment to turn around and walk through the devastated Great Hall. The magical ceiling was broken and reflected a mere simple black sky. Not a single star, not even the moon. The moonlight fell through one of the broken windows. It was a silver beam and it reached the ground just by Pansy's feet. The rest of the Great Hall was covered in a dull darkness. Hermione leant back against what had once been Dumbledore's little platform and watched Pansy.

"You know, she never loved you. She merely needed you around to establish which one of us fitted the Prophecy. She made a mistake, Pansy. Narcissa was wrong when she thought it was you. It was the only reason she allowed you near. When she realised her mistake she cast you aside like some useless toy..." she said and Pansy's eyes snapped up. Hermione had touched a nerve. "She's in the castle tonight..."

Pansy ignored the comment about Narcissa being here tonight. "What Prophecy?"

"The one that tells of a pureblood child born to become the Ruler of Shadows. To overpower the Dark Lord..." Hermione answered and cocked her head. She was suddenly reminded of Pansy's comment the day they first meant. When their paths had crossed on the Hogwarts Express and their friendship had formed. They had had their good times throughout the years. They shared their homework, they cheated in class, they laughed and cried together. She smiled at the memory but it was sucked back into the dark depths of her mind within seconds. "You were not a bad friend Pansy. I suggest you leave the castle while you still can..."

"You..." Pansy whispered. "You are destined to overpower the Dark Lord?"

"So it seems" Hermione answered casually, her eyes fixed on something behind Pansy. "If destiny is on my side, than so it shall be. If it isn't, then I shall face death like a friend. Leave now, Parkinson..."

Pansy seemed puzzled. She looked at Hermione. She had changed so much. She looked nothing like the shy, somewhat awkward eleven year old she had met on the train five years ago. Life had taken a different route. She did not even look like the girl who allowed her to copy her Transfiguration essays. "Why?" Her voice was soft. "Why are you letting me leave?"

"Some of us will be left to live with shame of what we are and what we had wished to become..." Hermione said, blatantly pointing out Pansy's newly discovered Mudblood status. The corners of her mouth twitched up into a smile. "Call it my one and only sacrifice. Had it not been for you, I would never have learnt the truth..."

Pansy hesitated briefly and looked at Hermione. "And what are you going to do?"

"Wait for destiny..."

Pansy nodded and slowly turned around. She started walking out of the Great Hall and turned around in what had once been its doors. Hermione was still leaning against Dumbledore's small podium and their eyes met across the distance of the room. It was a strange moment in time. As if everything just froze for a mere instant and their eyes connected. For those few seconds they were two old friends, seeing other for the last time.

"Goodbye, Hermione..."

"Goodbye Pansy..."

Once she was gone, Hermione hurried out of the Great Hall too and shot off towards the Grand Staircase. The Entrance Hall had been reduced to crumbling walls of dust. Suits of armour lay scattered across the floor and blood stained the tiles. She jumped over the unconscious body of a Ravenclaw, shot a look of triumph at the bleeding body of Dolohov and then began to climb the stairs. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she could only hope the Dark Lord would not find Potter before she did. She continued upwards, finding the staircase surprisingly empty. She could hear fighting and voices down various corridors but did not bother to hold still. When she reached the top of the stairs she held still.

Bellatrix appeared in the archway leading to the seventh floor corridor. A devious smirk lingered on her face. Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw her wife and then her eyes dropped to the person beside her, dressed in jeans and a simple jumper. Blood covered the young man's face and his nose seemed broken. He looked like he had been severely beaten. His left eye had swollen and was almost completely shut. Bruises had begun to appear across his pale looking face. His glasses were standing lopsided on his dishevelled nose and splintered glass had ct his cheek. But behind the broken glass a set of bright green eyes looked back at Hermione. Her eyes shot up to his forehead and recognised the lightning shaped scar. A smile began to spread across her face and she looked at Bellatrix.

"Bella..." she began and shook her head at the sight of the beaten young lad.

"I know I know..." Bellatrix muttered but she pushed the boy towards Hermione with a grin from ear to ear. "But Potter's alive, isn't he?"

Hermione looked at him fro head to toe. "For now..."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17**

_"The thorns which I have reap'd are of the tree  
I planted; they have torn me, and I bleed.  
I should have known what fruit would spring from such a seed."  
~George Gordon Byron_

"Where did you find him?" Hermione asked. Her eyes darted between the bruised and beaten Harry and Bellatrix, who had a firm hold of the young boy's arm. There was something pathetically weak about him and Hermione felt her stomach wrench. The sight of the boy made her sick. She loathed what he represented. She despised he had become this meaningless, useless symbol of hope and she found satisfaction in the knowledge all hope would die tonight. The raven haired woman still carried a smile from ear to ear and in her free hand she held her own wand and Harry's.

"Cissy spotted that Weasel child go into the Room of Requirement. Figured the boy would be with him" Bellatrix answered casually. She pointed at Harry's face. The smile on her face changed from satisfaction into what could only be described as a taunt as she looked at Harry. The reminder of his friends sparked fury in him. Harry struggled to free himself from her firm grip but Hermione noticed how Bellatrix's nails sunk deep into his skin. Pain filled Harry's face. "This wasn't all just me, you know"

Hermione snorted at those words and shook her head. "I should have known Cissy had a mean streak..."

"I hate to break up your little conversation" Harry groaned from Bellatrix's side and Hermione's eyes snapped in his direction. It was the first time he spoke and she wondered how he even found the capacity to formulate words as his lips were swollen. Bellatrix restrained herself and resisted slapping the boy across his face for his sheer brutality to speak. His eyes searched Hermione's face. "What is it you want?"

"You'll find out soon enough" Hermione answered, now drawing her wand as the sound of footsteps approached. She turned slightly and shot a look down the stairs. A small group of students was approaching and they spotted her the same moment she spotted them. She sighed irritably and cast a few random spells over the banister and watched in amusement how the first of the students tripped over his robes and the remainder of her spells hit the others in their chest and faces. They tumbled down the stairs in a mass of black robes and limbs. Throughout the castle the sounds of battle echoed off the stone walls and a strong smell of smoke and dust had filled the air. She looked back at Harry, who stared at her in horror. "It was most important we found you before the Dark Lord did, Potter"

"What, so are you on our side now?" Harry questioned in disbelief and shot a glance at the witch who was holding him. It looked nothing like they were siding with the Order. Bellatrix looked back at him in disgust. "And what about her? She's a murderous lunatic!"

Bellatrix hissed in anger and Hermione laughed. "That is not a very nice way to speak of someone's wife, now is it?" she sneered and took a step in his direction. The tip of her wand poked harshly into the side of his neck and Harry's breath chocked in the back of his throat. Hermione's face was a mere few inches from his and the corners of her lips curled up. "But to answer your question; I am not on _your s_ide, Potter. Nor am I on the side of the Dark Lord. Your enemy now has a new face..."

Harry showed little fear. He met his Hermione's eyes with his own and even through his blurred vision he could still see her. "I have seen you around in the castle..." he said as recognition dawned behind his eyes. The images of the girl walking through this castle's corridors emerged from the depths of his mind. They had seemed meaningless. _She_ had seemed meaningless. "You were that Muggle born girl who got sorted into Slytherin a few years ago. Parkinson's best friend... always hanging around with Malfoy and Zabini." He paused. "You're Granger, right?"

"Not anymore" Hermione spoke through clenched teeth and the anger and venom dripped from her words. She rose to her full figure and her eyes met Bellatrix's, sending her a longing, loving look. Bellatrix met her hungry gaze and smiled. "Now hush your pathetic tongue, Potter. Your words will not change a thing. You are aware of the Prophecy made about you and the Dark Lord?"

"What is it to you?" Harry demanded and Bellatrix slapped him across his face.

"Mind your manners, Potter. You are talking to a superior..." she barked and inspected the fresh blood gushing from his nose with an approving grin. His upper lip had split and immediately begun to swell. Hermione laughed.

"The Dark Lord needs you, Potter. As do I. However, my plans are far different from those of the Dark Lord..." Hermione answered, watching how Potter struggled to remain on his feet. Her eyes fixed on Bellatrix, who brushed her left hand along her dress in an attempt to remove Harry's blood. Frustration riddled the raven haired woman's face. "Mind the dress, Bella. Those stains will never come out. Take him to the Great Hall. I want them all to see how everything ends..."

They started their way down the Grand Staircase. Around them the castle walls had begun to crumble as more and more spells crashed against the ancient stone. Dust had filled their nostrils and lungs. Harry's feet did not even touch the floor as Bellatrix violently dragged him down the stairs. Every so often his knees buckled and she hoisted him back up. Her nails had dug deeply into his flesh and both her own wand and Harry's wand poked in the young boy's back. He had no chance of escaping. Hermione marched in front of them, brandishing her wand and shooting spells and curses in various directions to clear their path. She blew a seventh year backwards when he attempted to stop them from taking Harry down any further. She watched how he crashed against the wall with a sickening thud. The sound of his skull splitting on impact brought a smile to Hermione's face and she glanced at Bellatrix, who had little trouble restraining a weakened and still bleeding Harry.

"I wish they'd stop trying to kill themselves. There's little fun to it this way..." she said and smirked. Her eyes came to a rest on Harry for a moment. His glasses were dangling off his face. One leg was stuck behind his left ear. He seemed almost unconscious. Hermione's eyes then found Bellatrix. "You never did tell me where Cissy is now. I'd hate for her to miss out on it all..."

"Taking care of the Weasley brats. We found that annoying ginger girl in the room with them..." Bellatrix laughed as Harry let out a stifled moan at the mention of his friends. "I think she wants some revenge for the times when Arthur Weasley and his sad little wizards invaded her Manor to look for items she ought not to have..."

"HARRY!"

It was the voice of Minerva McGonagall and Hermione spun around, facing her former teacher. She raised her wand up to chest level and waited for the older witch to come closer. Minerva McGonagall looked dishevelled as she ran towards Hermione, Bellatrix and Harry and her emerald green eyes were as fiery as ever. Her black hair had sprung free from its usual tight bun and her glasses stood lopsided on her nose. She was covered in dust and there was a cut on her cheek but otherwise she seemed unhurt.

"You should have killed her when you had the chance!" Bellatrix shrieked, raising both her own wand as well as Harry's and aiming them at Minerva. Her other arm snaked around Harry's chest and pressed him against her, as a shield. Hermione merely stared at her former teacher.

"I can't let you do this!" she cried when she was about three feet away from Hermione. She raised her own wand and Hermione guessed it was the first time Minerva actually considered hexing a student.

Hermione laughed and made a casual gesture in Harry's direction. He seemed to struggle to free himself from Bellatrix's grip but she had now placed her hand over his mouth, smothering his voice. "It's me or the Dark Lord. You choose..."

"No..." breathed Minerva. "I can't..."

"I always respected you, Minerva... " Hermione began but her voice was cut off.

"Funny way of showing it, don't you think? Murdering Dumbledore?" Harry shouted and Hermione looked over her shoulder. Bellatrix covered Harry's mouth again and shrugged. The two wands she held were still aimed at McGonagall. Hermione shot her wife a dark look and Bellatrix hissed sharply before Hermione looked back at her former Transfiguration teacher.

"He was part of the plan" Hermione explained and watched how Minerva's face changed from anger to confusion and pain. She stared at the girl whom she had once visited at her home, explaining she was a witch. She still remembered how shy and nervous she had been. How bright and sparkling she had been, even at the tender age of eleven. All of that seemed like a lifetime ago. Hermione was nothing like the eleven year old she had seen that night. "And the old fool knew it. He knew there were things even he could not comprehend. Now please don't make me hurt you, Minerva. It is not me you must fear tonight..."

"IMPEDIMENTA!" McGonagall cried unexpectedly and Hermione flicked her own wand.

"PROTEGO!"

"Kill her already!" Bellatrix urged her impatiently and Hermione briefly looked at her. "Well, _go on_!"

"CRUCIO!" Hermione shouted and the red jet shot from her wand and crashed into Minerva McGonagall's chest. The older witch never had a second to defend herself. Her elderly body fell to the ground and she collapsed into a heap. She seized and shook involuntarily and foam began to appear around the corners of her mouth. Her glasses fell off her nose and tears began streaming down her face as a horrific scream rose from the back of her throat, mixed with a gurgling noise as she slowly began to drown in her own vomit.

Hermione walked past her still seizing body, followed by Bellatrix and a still struggling Harry, who was now attempting to kick Bellatrix in an attempt to free himself.

"Calm, boy!" Bellatrix hissed. "You do not want to find yourself unable to fight!"

The further down they went, the more fighting they encountered. Death Eaters were battling groups of students and teachers. In the chaos bodies covered the floor. In the dust, blood and debris it was hard to tell what limbs belonged to whom. Not a single window had remained intact and large holes had appeared in what had once been indestructible walls. Hogwarts had begun to fall apart.

"Bella!" It was Lucius' drawing voice. He had just stunned Professor Flitwick and now turned to face his sister in law and her wife. He had called for Bellatrix, ignoring Hermione. It was his way of showing contempt. "The Dark Lord's orders were clear! The boy..."

"Screw the Dark Lord, Lucius!" Hermione cut him off and anger flickered in her hazel eyes. Lucius stared back at her, stunned. He even forgot to raise his wand. Hermione snorted. "Do you see him around here, fighting for your survival? Has he even tried to find Potter? He awaits your victory so he can walk in here and snatch the boy, leaving you to do the dirty work for him! You're a fool, Lucius Malfoy!"

Behind her, Bellatrix's grip on Harry's arm tightened as two Gryffindors broke free from the fighting crowd and charged towards them. The impact of the spell hit one of them in the face, and the other on the arm. Both of them were knocked back and blood gushed from the large wounds that had appeared across their bodies. The spell had been silent. Silent but deadly. Blood pools began to spread across the floor.

"Give him back his wand, Bella" Hermione said and Harry snatched it from the raven haired woman's hands before staggering towards Hermione. They were standing in the Entrance Hall and around them the fighting ceased as realisation dawned on those present about what was going to happen. Hermione and Harry circled each other. He was weakened and Hermione laughed as she watched his attempt to move his broken glasses back onto his nose. His eyes were so swollen he could barely see. She knew he stood little chance. Victory was not meant to be his.

"You ought to be glad it's me, Potter" she cackled, rolling her wand playfully through her fingers. She never took her eyes off him. She had learnt never to trust blindly. Even if an enemy was weak, they were still an enemy. "At least you will severe a greater good"

"Really? And how's that?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"The destruction of the Dark Lord" Hermione simply stated and watched the confused expression on Harry's face. "Oh our goal is very much the same, Potter. We both wish to see him vanquished. But for him to die, you must die too..."

"Don't come any closer!" Bellatrix barked when Lucius attempted to approach Hermione and Harry. Her charcoal eyes fixed on her brother in law. Her dark eyes shot around the people present around her. None of them now moved. Her words had been a warning. "You will not live to tell the tale"

He halted in his step and his eyes widened when Narcissa came running down the Grand Staircase, wiping the blood on her hands onto her dress. Strands of blonde hair fell before her eyes as she reached her sister and her husband and she took a stand at Bellatrix's side. Blue eyes found the grey orbs of her husband and she shook her head.

"Fool" she hissed contemptuously "You are a coward, Lucius. Destiny does not lie!"

Narcissa and Bellatrix then raised their wands at the small crowd. A crowd that consisted of Death Eaters, a few remaining teachers and students. Everybody's eyes were fixed on Harry and Hermione in the middle of the hall, still circling each other. Neither of them removed their eyes from the other. Both knew that if the eye contact was broken, the other would strike. In the crowd nobody dared to move. Rabastan, Lucius and Dolohov watched with a mixture of shock and fear. No other Death Eaters were present, conscious or alive. Several students also watched on, most of their faces covered in blood and dust. Some of them seemed frightened and yet intrigued by the fractures inside the Death Eaters and how it had left them separated.

"Death is but an enemy one must get to know" Hermione said, her eyes still fixed on Harry. He stared back at her and a taunting smile spread across her face. "Speaking of death; where is that annoying ginger mate of his?"

Narcissa's laughter rose up from the crowd. "Permanently disabled"

Harry let out a cry and Hermione looked at him. "There is only room for _one_ Chosen One, Potter"

He raised a shaking hand. His wand trembled between his fingers and tears fell from his swollen eyes. "P-P-Pro..."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There was a haunting silence as Hermione's spell hit Harry's beaten body. Nobody moved and time suddenly seemed to freeze. Seconds seemed to last an eternity. The green jet shot across the short distance between them and then Harry tumbled to the floor, almost gracefully, and his glasses slipped off his face. His wand rolled out of his hand and clattered onto the stone floor before his body did. Green eyes lit up for one last time and then he hit the ground. His head bounced off the cold marble a few times and an empty had lay stretched out, reaching for something invisible.

"The Boy Who _Lived_" Bellatrix said sarcastically, her eyes now fixed on the weeping group of students. "This battle was lost before it even started. Many of you must question who truly killed Potter"

Lucius looked horrified and took a step in the direction of Harry's body. A strong, cold wind picked up outside and chilled everybody present inside the castle to the bone. Lucius had reached Harry's body and reached out a hand to touch him.

"STOP!" Narcissa called from behind him and Lucius' arm froze in mid air. He turned to glance at his wife. Narcissa had aimed her wand at her husband and met his gaze. "Not another move..."

There was a loud, high pitched shriek and the remaining crowd dispersed. The cold wind became stronger. It pulled at Hermione's hair and she rose to her full figure as the first strands of black mist began to fill the Hall. Several bodies tumbled to the floor, lifeless, as a gigantic black cloud filled the Entrance Hall and slowly regained the shape of Lord Voldemort. His thin, tall frame appeared in the middle of the room and he wielded his wand, brandishing it like a knife almost. The bodies that lay dead were of students and Death Eaters alike. Rabastan and Dolohov were dead. Their empty eyes stared up into nothing. The students cowered away against the walls, uselessly protecting themselves with their arms and wands. They were nothing but vermin.

Pure hatred flickered behind his red eyes and he turned to Hermione. His snake like featured were alive with anger and when his arm shot up, a powerful spell shot from the tip of his wand and shot across the room. Hermione had predicted his anger and deflected his spell with a strong Shield Charm. It bounced off and crashed into the nearest wall. It crumbled and fell apart, revealing the heavy rain that had started to fall outside. The wind continued to gain in strength and pulled vigorously at Hermione's hair. It was cold and numbing but she showed no discomfort.

"Foolish child!" cried the Dark Lord. His fiery red eyes were fixed on Hermione. She stood tall and proud, her dark brown curls dancing in the wind. Her skin had lost most of its colour and she faced with strength and pride. Her lips had formed a thin line and she met his gaze without a hint of fear.

"The Prophecy was clear. We were to face each other as equals. The death of Potter at your hands would have given you an advantage. We both knew the boy had to die. You failed to claim his death!" Hermione spoke loudly. Her voice was sharp and clear, even with the heavy wind. Thunder roared in the skies over their heads and a bright flash of lightening briefly lit up the room. "Tonight death will be our friend, My Lord. I shall stand proud and welcome him if I must..."

"Oh welcome him you will, you insolent child!" answered the Dark Lord and a twisted grin spread across his leathery face. It was uncommon to see him smile and reminded Hermione how less of a human he really was. "Have you learnt nothing from the Prophecy, Eris? Have you not learnt to understand the true meaning of it?"

"Oh but I have..." Hermione spoke calmly. Her heart was beating slowly in her chest. Her wand was aimed at the Dark Lord's chest, there where once his heart had been. She knew him not to have one. It was what separated them in this moment. "To face what lies inside you... Your blood is unworthy to even face me here tonight..." Her voice became sharper. "The memory I took from Albus Dumbledore the night he died. It held the truth about you. The truth I shared earlier tonight and yet many were still willing to die for you. But what are you really but dirty half Blood?"

The Dark Lord's face had turned into a gruesome mask of loathing and hatred and he stared at Hermione. "Such lies coming from a child whom would not have been alive had it not been for me!"

"Perhaps I owe my life to you. If so, I shall also owe my victory to you..." Hermione said, never once taking her eyes of the Dark Lord's twisted face. She gave him an almost polite nod and bowed slightly. Even in a moment like this manners mattered. "We stand before each other as equals, My Lord. There is nothing separating us now but the magic that lies within us. To live or to die..."

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"PROTEGO!"

Hermione's Shield Charm was so strong that it extended across most of the Entrance Hall. The Killing Curse was deflected and crashed into the ceiling. Another large gaping hole appeared and rain began to fill the Entrance Hall, rapidly drenching those still standing. Hermione felt the cold water on her face and a smile spread across her face. She felt a surge of power in her chest. Something so strong... she had never experienced anything like it before. In that moment, as the electricity shot through her body, she relived the very moment she had first met Bellatrix in the Shrieking Shack. How their bodies had crashed together in an explosion of passion, blind hatred and lust. It was what had started this. It had opened up the darkness. It had taken her in, swallowed her up and was prepared to watch her die. She remembered what had fallen apart because of this. Something as fragile as friendship. She still remembered Pansy's laughter. How they had joked, made their homework together and sat by the Black Lake. How they had visited Hogwarts with Blaise and Draco.

It seemed so long ago; something as meaningless as life. Nothing like that mattered now. But once it had done. Once it had been all she had known. All she had cherished. But as her head snapped up and hazel eyes pierced into the fiery red slits of Lord Voldemort, she found nothing but empty darkness remaining in her head. Everything was gone. Like the memories had been sucked into the depths, left to drown. All was gone. All but this one moment. This final, everlasting moment.

The Prophecy had brought them here, tonight. Enemies in life and death. Only one would leave here tonight. Only fate truly held the answer. She was prepared to fight. To face a battle that would leave her to bleed to death or would leave her unharmed. She did not fear the outcome, for it had been decided long ago. The Prophecy had spoken of the one true Ruler of Shadows. Nothing stood in her path. Dumbledore was dead. Potter lay defeated in front of her. All that was left was to face the Dark Lord. Darkness would chose its true Master in time.

"Death is but an enemy one must get to know. Or a friend we must cherish forever..." she said. The sensation in her chest only swelled up, invading her heart, her soul, her mind, her eyes. Her wand burned against her flesh and the pain was what she desired. It was a reminder. And then the words rolled from her lips. Unexpectedly quiet. Silent. Powerful. A whisper. Deadly. Final.

"Avada Kedavra..."

The green jet shot across the room, rapidly closing in on the dark cloaked figure that was Lord Voldemort. It reflected in his blood red eyes. He was the most feared wizard in the world; he had become what he was out of loathing over his own background. The truth about his past caused him so much hatred that he had denied it. He had made himself believe in his own created truth. He had murdered those who had once been part of his birth. He hated nothing more than the blood that flowed in his own veins. He who had sold his soul and his heart to become immortal in his own mind. But now he stood before her as a broken man. A shell of his own power. His secrets had been unravelled, his lies exposed. His fate had been decided.

She was just like him.

His lips never uttered another spell. The green jet pierced his black robes before it pierced his snake like skin. It filled the empty space where once a heart had beaten. Emerald green replaced the red in his eyes for a mere second and brought back the original blue which had been lost. For an instant the eyes of Tom Riddle faced the world. And then his body slumped down to the ground, lifeless. Desperate fingers closed around his wand, unwilling to let go of the one thing that had created and symbolized his power and his strength. It was all gone now. _Dead._

"Let death be your friend, My Lord, as it shall be mine" Hermione spoke calmly. Her hazel eyes had fixed on the lifeless body on the ground. Empty eyes stared up to the ceiling and thick drops of rain landed on the fallen Dark Lord's face, almost like tears. She knelt down to the floor. Wet strands of hair stuck to her forehead. Nothing but silence surrounded her as she took the wand from the Dark Lord's fingers and snapped it into. The phoenix feather inside was a bright shade of red. It lay broken in the palm of her hand. For a few moments she searched the Dark Lord's face. Death glared back at her. "I reminded you once of the curse of immortality, My Lord. You chose to neglect my words. A curse, I said. Behold the truth I spoke" She rose to her feet, her eyes never leaving the Dark Lord's face. "As equals we came to this moment and as equals we shall part..."

She turned around and her eyes instantly found Bellatrix. Rain still poured into the Hall, washing away the blood that stained the floor. Soon a new dawn would break and the world would face a different light. She walked towards her, leaving behind the bodies of her enemies. Harry and the Dark Lord lay only a few feet apart, their bodies already cold. Two figures who had once represented the opposite but who had both forgotten about the true dangers the world would hold. With the new dawn the world would wake to the deaths of Harry Potter and the fall of the Dark Lord. The world was theirs now. There was only room for one Chosen One. One true Ruler of Shadows.

Hermione reached Bellatrix and grasped her hand. "We are done..."

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**A/N:** We are building up to the end of the story. Please please review. Chocolate cookies for those who do! I am so grateful for all of you whom have read this story and have left reviews. I never expected things to turn out like this. It became much more complicated than I had intended, way darker than I had planned and I had little to no clue where my own mind was taking things. Here's to the end. Thank you for once again standing beside me through my writing. I owe you all.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **This is it. The final chapter. I chose to have it set in somebody else's POV and to show what the world has become. The thought behind this is to create an image experienced by the one person who feels a sense of responsibility for what has happened but has no power to change it. I thank you all for reading this story. It turned into something I never thought it would and I am grateful for an audience like you. ~Cissy.

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**Chapter 18**

_"I have loved to the point of madness, that which is called madness,  
that which to me is the only sensible way to love."  
~Francoise Sagan_

1 year later.

The world was a shit hole these days. Every day went shrouded in darkness and thick mist pressed against the windows of empty houses. Many of them had been abandoned upon the dawn of change, even more had been raided as the days had progressed. Houses had crumbled under the impact of magic so dark many did not dare think of it and their ruins were left behind as a reminder for those who wished to oppose the new regime. Most days thick, heavy rain fell from the black skies, drowning the world in and endless sense of sorrow. Trees were stripped from their leaves and bony branches seemed to claw at the invisible forces surrounding them. Fields were left barren. In a land of darkness nothing grew.

It was impossible to tell when one day ended and another began. The darkness was semi-permanent. The raids left street after street abandoned. Much like a ghost town. Long gone were the terrifying screams of families being torn apart. Children separated from their parents; their cries were rumoured to be heard during particularly quiet nights. Azkaban now housed those deemed unworthy to carry wands and those who had once associated with Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Their lives had been spared, only to be driven into insanity by the horrific events taking place inside the prison walls. Many begged for the Dementors to come and take their souls as life itself had become torture. Those who resisted the salvation of death found themselves incapable of wishing for it. As the months went on, there was barely anybody left to remember those who had once sided with the Boy Who Lived. Their faces had blurred into the darkness.

She woke every day, still questioning why she had been spared. Every day her eyes were drawn to the window, searching the sky for a ray of sunshine. By now she knew she would never see sunlight again. The night the world had changed lay fresh in her memory even though a long, endless year had passed. A year that felt like an eternity. Many could barely remember what it had been like before _she _changed the world; before the incarnation of evil emerged victorious from the battle and unleashed sheer terror upon them all.

She had seen the cloaked figures in the night, no longer loyal to the Dark Lord but loyal to the Ruler of Shadows instead. Their faces went no longer hidden behind masks and in their eyes lingered a sense of evil unseen by anyone. They were ruthless and spared no one who stood in their way. Their hands were permanently covered in blood. Many times she had expected them to knock on her door. They never came. It left a sense of fear alive inside of her.

Pansy Parkinson did not know why Hermione Black or Eris- as she was known these days- had spared her that night at Hogwarts. Why she had asked her to walk away. But it was that deliberate choice that made she was still alive today, to face the horrendous hell this world had become since Eris had risen to power. No longer did the memory of Lord Voldemort with fear. It was the existence of Eris that made the world crumble. She knew many others to be dead. But every day, as she faced herself in the mirror and heard the rain hammer against the glass, she wondered why she was left to face another day. Eris had known about her blood and yet she had chosen to let her live.

_"Some of us will be left to live with shame of what we are and what we had wished to become..." _

It was the memory of those words that answered the question 'why' every time. To be left alive with the knowledge the blood in her veins was tainted, was the true punishment. To know that Eris, Ruler of Shadows, had stood before her and allowed her to live, put her in her debt. A debt she knew she would never be able to repay. She was a Mudblood and she had been left to live because Eris had chosen for it to be so. It was a reminder of friendship. A twisted, sickening reminder of how she had once befriended a shy girl on the Hogwarts Express and helped her find her confidence. Every day she was left to live with the knowledge that it was her own gesture of kindness that opened up Hermione and allowed her to become Eris and eventually changed the world into the shithole it had become. Had she walked on that day, ignored what she had seen, things would have been different. And she lived with that burden whenever she heard another cry in the night and found the resistance paper she found in the gutter reporting yet another death. The list of those who had died was now longer than those who had lived. Soon she would be the only one left. She had been responsible for creating the monster that now controlled the world. But most of all the words were a reminder that she would never become what she had once dreamed of being. She had been spared only to become a prisoner inside this world.

The world was an empty place. Eris, with Bellatrix at her side, had taken the final bit of hope the world had held after the fall of the Dark Lord. Those who had not known about the Prophecy had believed their nightmare had ended, only to find it had just begun. And Pansy had watched in terror as that same night, Hogwarts was destroyed to the ground. Not even the highest tower had remained standing. More had died after Lord Voldemort had died than before. Eris had left nobody else alive inside the castle. Those present had screamed and cried in fear as the walls came down. None emerged from the dust alive. Hogwarts had been the one stronghold throughout history that opposed everything Lord Voldemort had been. Now that it was gone, there was nothing standing between Eris and the world. It was hers to take. And she had taken it. And she had destroyed it.

Pansy glanced out of her tiny kitchen window. The rest of her street was quiet. It was early. The few people that still lived here were asleep. They were all purebloods and all were loyal to Eris. They did not even know a Mudblood lived amongst them. She had been tempted to tell them. They would kill her. The thought most days seemed better than being alive. More raindrops trickled down the glass and Pansy sighed. Her eyes were drawn to the sky. She had to look for the sunlight; for that tiny fragment of hope. She knew she would never find it. Eris had taken everything.

But if she didn't hold on to sickening hope, Pansy too would only beg for death.


End file.
